A Time to Live
by Singtoangels1
Summary: After All the Way, Buffy and the Scoobies are on the run from a Big Bad they know nothing about...please R
1. Default Chapter

Title: A Time to Live  
  
Authouress: Sing to Angels  
  
Date: 12th November, 2001  
  
Spoilers: All the Way and Once More, With Feeling never happened...unfortunately. That was the most awesome thing I have witnessed in the Buffyverse, especially B/S wise... But don't worry, it is all B/S shippery here too, I promise. :D  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own them, I don't own anything so don't sue me please. All belongs to JossGod, Grr Argh, and a bunch of other people that I don't know.  
  
Big Thanks: Corey McCann did a swift beta on this, so thanks guy. :)  
  
Feedback: I need it, I want it, I want some more of it! (Also, constructive criticism is a nice thing too.) Flamers can go to... well, that place where there are other flames; which is either a coffeeshop or the place where that red guy with the pointy stick thing lives. :)  
  
In a lab, somewhere in the bowels of Council Headquarters, there is a boy waiting on a cold table made of stainless steel. He is young, only two years old and he is very tired. Tired of waiting for the bad men to come and take him back to his room. Tired of all the sharp things they poke him with. Tired of all the cold words they say to him.  
  
The boy doesn't understand how he knows that these men are bad, that these men who feed, clothe, and bathe him are mean people. They have never actually hit him, and they never say anything that on the surface would make a small child feel bad. But he did feel bad; he felt that they didn't like him, that they didn't really want to take care of him. They, the nameless, faceless men and women who watched his every move as if he was a dangerous animal at the zoo.  
  
So he waits, for them to take him to his room, where he can play with the few colourless playthings that they provided for him. Where he can be with Nana Grace, who loves him and whispers secrets to him, and mends up his troubled heart.  
  
*****  
  
Buffy was pissed. Spike was supposed to come and watch Dawn but he was nowhere to be found. After waiting for well over an hour, she called Giles to come and watch Dawn so that she could go out and find Spike.  
  
As Buffy walked the streets, she couldn't help but to dwell on what had happened the night before. Poor Dawnie, Buffy thought, her first kiss and it was with a vampire that wanted to make her his personal juice box.  
  
Dawn was like her daughter now. Even before their mom had died, it had seemed to Buffy as if she was the strong, protective mother and Joyce and Dawn were the children. But now, Dawn was more like Buffy's daughter than ever before. And it made her smile somewhat sadly to herself. Life as a Slayer didn't leave room for children. No one would ever call her mommy; she would never feel a little heart beat under her own, she would never have a child to carry on her memory. Buffy would die again and would be unable to stake her claim in the gene pool, unable to have that slice of a mortal's immortality. Children.  
  
That had seemed fine to her only a few months ago, but now she wasn't sure. Slaying was in her; it was her blood, her fire, her life. But it was becoming more and more difficult to get up everyday and go out, kill a few vampires, and go home. To an empty bed, and an empty heart. It didn't feel the same.  
  
Buffy sighed and trudged on, wondering when her life had become so complicated. But she knew that it was when she came back from the dead. Once she became used to being alive again she started to think of how she would never be able to give life to someone, only to take it.  
  
Buffy's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a scuffle ahead. Without thinking, her feet sped up and she hurried toward the fight. Spike was holding off two vampires with a firebrand while he tried to lift up a wounded woman with a small child clutching her fiercely.  
  
Spike saw Buffy coming towards him and he let out a shout.  
  
"Slayer, come help me, quickly."  
  
Buffy ran to where he was and stayed behind him, out of reach of the firebrand he was swinging wildly at the two vamps.  
  
"Get them out of here so I can finish off these two!" Spike shouted behind him.  
  
Buffy nodded, lifting the two bodies up, she ran about 30 yards away. Setting them on the ground, she turned to look back at Spike who had thrown down the firebrand and was taking the vampires on in hand to hand combat.  
  
He was playing with them, the two vampires were young, no more than a few years old and they were still unskilled. As Spike waltzed around them, obviously enjoying the fight, Buffy felt a pang of envy. She hadn't enjoyed combat with a vampire or demon for a long time. She just staked them perfunctorily and went home most nights.  
  
After Spike had dusted them, he wiped off the front of his shirt and turned around; strutting towards Buffy with confidence.  
  
"Are they all right, Slayer?"  
  
Buffy started, she had been so engrossed in watching Spike fight that she hadn't thought to look the two people over for injuries. Glancing down, she quickly assessed their condition. The woman was unconscious, probably from the wound to her temple that was slowly leaking blood into her curly auburn hair. The child seemed fine, if not a little frightened, still clutching the woman desperately.  
  
"She has a head wound, but he seems to be all right."  
  
Looking around her, Buffy saw that they were much closer to her house than to Spike's crypt.  
  
"Let's take them to my house, I'll patch her up and if she needs it, we can take her to the hospital."  
  
Spike nodded and picked up the woman, leaving the child for Buffy. Together, the two blondes slowly made their way to Rivello Drive.  
  
*****  
  
"Good God, what happened here?" Giles exclaimed as he saw Buffy and Spike bringing the woman and child into the house.  
  
Spike set the woman on the couch and then went into the bathroom to get a washcloth and some water. Buffy tried, but failed to get the young boy to stop clinging to her so she could set him down. Seeing that he wasn't going to budge, Buffy turned him around so that she could sit down in the recliner.  
  
"I went to go find Spike so we could patrol and..."  
  
"Oh God, it's Grace!" Giles cut Buffy off as he rushed to the couch and started trying to revive the woman.  
  
Buffy looked at him oddly. "Who's Grace?"  
  
Giles stopped patting the young woman's face and plopped down on the couch beside her. Running his fingers through his hair, he raised a shaky hand up to pull off his glasses.  
  
"Grace Hathaway... s-she is a good friend of mine, from the Watcher Council. The last I heard, she h-had stolen a secret project that the Council was working on and jumped the country. I haven't seen her in a couple of years, so I have no idea what it was that she was working on."  
  
Giles sighed and looked down, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.  
  
"So why would she come to a Hellmouth if she were trying to escape notice?" Buffy wondered, looking down at the little boy in her arms who had finally fallen into a troubled sleep.  
  
"Especially with her son. If I had a kid, I would keep them as far away from this place as possible."  
  
Giles nodded. "As would I. Apparently there was a reason she came here, but I don't know what it might be. I'll call Wesley, perhaps he knows what she was working on."  
  
As he got up off the couch to go make his call, he stopped and looked at the boy in Buffy's arms.  
  
"I had no idea that she had a child. From what I remember, she was barren." Giles shrugged. "Perhaps she was wrong."  
  
Giles made his way into the kitchen to use the phone. Spike stepped out of the shadows where he had been standing and kneeled down next to the couch. Placing the cool, damp cloth on Grace's forehead, Spike looked up at Buffy. She was staring raptly down at the little boy in her arms, humming and rocking the child back and forth.  
  
" You fancy havin' one o' those some day?"  
  
Startled, Buffy looked up at him. "No, they are just nice to hold sometimes; babies are too much work for me to want one."  
  
Staring sharply at her, he let the lie go; there was no use in making her feel badly about wanting children, even though he knew that she would probably never have any. Letting his gaze drift down, Spike saw that the boy had relaxed in his sleep finally, and was having a pleasant dream apparently because a slight smile was tucking up one corner of his small, bow-shaped mouth.  
  
"Well, at least he is being quiet."  
  
Spike said finally, before turning back to Grace and continuing to patch her up. "I'm..."  
  
Spike was unable to finish because at that moment, Giles came rushing into the room. He was at the door, putting on his coat before he stopped to address Buffy.  
  
"Buffy, I-I have to go meet Wesley somewhere. Apparently, the project Grace was a part of is something he didn't feel safe telling me over the phone. I'm going to stay the night at a motel somewhere, so I'll be back in Sunnydale sometime tomorrow. I'm sorry that I can't watch Dawn for you, but this is important."  
  
Buffy just smiled and waved, holding the boy to her with one hand. "That's ok Giles, I don't really feel like patrolling tonight anyway. I deserve a vacation."  
  
Giles nodded somewhat hastily. "That's good, just...," He stopped and looked at the boy in her arms strangely. "Just keep that child safe, Wesley said that he is somehow a part of all this."  
  
Buffy looked down at the child and smiled. "No problem, Giles." She looked up as Giles was going out the door. "Hey! Did Wesley tell you what his name is?"  
  
"Liam, his name is Liam."  
  
*****  
  
"Did you get it?"  
  
A severe yet beautiful dark-haired woman in a maroon business suit set down her headset and nodded sharply. "It's affirmed, she is at the home of the Slayer. Her watcher just called Wesley, he is en route now to meet him."  
  
"Good, Wesley can take care of him and we should be in California before his absence is noticed."  
  
The man speaking stopped and looked at his watch. "Our flight leaves in one hour, brief the recon team of where we are going. Map out the surrounding area and give them each a diagram of the Slayer's home. Have them memorize it thoroughly, there is no room for failure on this mission."  
  
Stamping out his cigar, he turned abruptly and headed for the door.  
  
*****  
  
Liam had woken up and started to explore his new surroundings. Jumping off of Buffy's lap, he made his way over to the couch.  
  
"Nana Grace, get up. Please get up, they are coming. We have to go!" Liam started pulling on her hand, trying to get the woman to open her eyes.  
  
Buffy watched all this from a few feet away. She was about to get up, but Spike stopped her. Sitting on his haunches, he turned the tear stained face around and started to wipe off Liam's cheeks.  
  
"She's asleep, kid. She isn't going to get up anytime soon."  
  
Liam looked at Spike angrily and pushed his hands away. "She isn't asleep, she is unconscious. That man hit her on the head and she is hurt. But we have to go, they are coming right now."  
  
Spike lost his balance and sat down hard on the floor, staring at the child before him, at a complete and utter loss for words. "How...h-how." He stopped to run shaky hands through his slick hair. "How old are you, boy?"  
  
Liam looked down at Spike, seemingly unconcerned by the man's reaction. "I'm 2 and a half, why do you care?"  
  
Spike stuttered for a moment.  
  
"It's just that I-I've never seen a ch-child your age speak so..." He paused, looking for a word. "Well." He finished lamely.  
  
Liam was rather shocked by this, finally taking in the expression of fear? Was that it? Was this man fearful of him? "What does he mean?" Liam asked softly, glancing towards Buffy, who wore an expression similar to that of Spike.  
  
"I think what he means, Liam, is that most kids your age are having problems with walking, much less speaking. They say things like 'cookie' and 'I want now'. They don't say, 'she's unconscious'."  
  
"They don't?"  
  
"No, they don't."  
  
Liam looked down at his shoes, shuffling his feet, and then he looked back at Grace. Lisping with a child's voice in a soft, British accent, he said. "We have to go she has to get up. They are coming to get us, they will kill her and they will take me back. Please," He stopped to look at Buffy out of pleading eyes. "Help me get her up so that we can go."  
  
Buffy looked at him for really the first time; he had soft honey blonde curls which fell against very pale, white cheeks, and his eyes! They were such a clear, piercing shade of blue; accented by brows of a darker blonde, pointed and arched in such a way that it contrasted sharply with his cherubic face.  
  
"Who are 'they', Liam? And how do you know that they are coming?"  
  
Liam shrugged. "I don't know, they are... just...them. And I can see them here." He put a finger against his temple. "I can close my eyes, and concentrate really hard, and I can see things." He shut his eyes tightly. "And I see them, I know that they are on a plane and coming here to get us."  
  
Buffy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean to say that you are psychic?"  
  
Liam shrugged again. "I guess, I don't know. I just see things when they are about to happen and they come true."  
  
Buffy looked at Spike. "Stay with him for a minute, I have to call the gang."  
  
*****  
  
Giles face blanched white as he took in the information Wesley was giving him. Removing his glasses, he set them down on the table in front of him and pinched the bridge of his nose.  
  
"My God, why did they do this, Wesley?"  
  
Wesley shrugged and took another sip of his tea. "Who knows, Rupert. The Council has never been strictly on the up and up, so to speak; they have never bothered to stop and listen to their morals if they feel that something is for the 'greater good', as it were."  
  
Giles slumped further back into his seat, and covered his face. "Wesley, this isn't a case of moral dilemma, this is the Council trying to play God!"  
  
Realizing that he had spoken too loudly, Giles lowered his voice. "And that poor boy, God knows what type of monster they would turn him into if they find him again."  
  
Wesley nodded and set down his teacup. "Which is why you have to leave, tonight. Drive as fast as you can and get them the hell out of that town."  
  
Giles leaned forward. "Do you mind if I bring them to LA and stay with you for a few days, until I can think of a safer place? It may be harder for them to find us in a large city."  
  
Wesley folded his arms across his chest and laughed mirthlessly. "No, that wouldn't be such a good idea. I'm leaving myself you see."  
  
Giles looked up from the tea he was about to take a sip from. "You? Where the devil are you going?"  
  
"I have to go, I can't be here when the Council members arrive. As it is, if they find me I will be lucky to escape with my life, Rupert."  
  
"But why would they--" Giles stopped and his eyes widened in understanding. "You mean to say that... that you were sent to kill me tonight?"  
  
Wesley nodded and picked up his cup, looking out the window at the traffic on the street. "They think that even though I am an...outlaw...I am so loyal to their cause that I would murder you, in cold blood no less. I've no problem killing someone, Rupert, I've done it before as have you. But the men I've killed have been.... evil I guess you could say. Then again," He paused to take a sip of his tea, still not looking at Giles. "Who am I to judge the measure of a man's worth?"  
  
*****  
  
After two hours, every Scooby was at Buffy's house and ready to listen. Spike lounged casually on the couch, throwing popcorn in the air and trying to catch it in his mouth. Missing mostly, he littered the pillows and even the floor with little white puffs.  
  
"I thought vampires were supposed to have better aim than that." Willow said. Moving faster than could be seen, Spike nailed her between the eyes with an unpopped kernel.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Shows what you know, Red."  
  
Spike offered Willow a toothy grin as she rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Chanting a few words softly, Willow pointed her finger at the bowl of popcorn in Spike's lap. The metal bowl wobbled as it rose up and dumped itself on top of his head.  
  
" Hey! Whad'ya do that for?"  
  
Xander spoke up. "You don't look like a big bad now that you are covered in popcorn."  
  
Spike growled deeply, which made them all laugh more. Sighing to himself, Spike started to pick up the pieces of popcorn and put them back in the bowl, which had tumbled into his lap once again.  
  
Buffy walked down the stairs and into the living room where everyone was gathered around, waiting for her.  
  
"Ok, guys. I got him to go to sleep in my room, so we can start now."  
  
Sighing, Buffy plopped herself down next to Spike's feet. Picking at the lacing of one of his boots, she stalled, hoping that someone else would start for her.  
  
Surprisingly, Tara piped up first. "I sense that he is very powerful, he h- has strong abilities."  
  
Willow nodded her head. "I agree, he is a clairvoyant. If he was properly trained, who knows where his talents can take him."  
  
Buffy's front door slammed closed and Giles came in, looking rather dishevelled.  
  
"Buffy, you need to get..." He stopped and looked around the living room.  
  
"Well, I couldn't have planned this better myself."  
  
"Planned what Giles?"  
  
He looked at Buffy, and then at Spike. Shaking his head to clear it, he took off his glasses and started to polish them. "I... never mind, I don't have time to explain it, but we are all in serious danger. All of you, go home and pack up a bag. Meet back here in one hour, and then we are leaving."  
  
Everyone started to talk at once, but Xander was able to make himself heard above the racket.  
  
"But I can't go anywhere, I have to go to work tomorrow!"  
  
"And I have to run the shop, and make money tomorrow," Anya pitched in.  
  
Giles held up his hand to quiet everyone. "Xander, you will just have to tell them that something came up and you have to take a leave of absence. Tell them someone died, I don't care, but go pack up a bag and come back here. Anya," Giles turned his head to look at her. "the store will have to be closed for a while. Don't argue, just go pack. Only bring those things that are necessary for your survival."  
  
Everyone looked at him, and then quietly went in different directions, each going to pack their bags without complaint. Spike was still sitting on the couch, wondering what was going on.  
  
Giles pointed at him. "I need you to come and help me, and then we'll stop by your crypt to so you can get some clothes and nourishment for yourself on the trip."  
  
"What? Why do I have to go?"  
  
"I don't have time to explain, Spike. Just trust me, you are in danger as well."  
  
Sighing, Spike jumped up from the couch and walked over to Giles, who was busy putting weapons in a large duffel bag.  
  
"What do you want me to do?"  
  
*****  
  
Giles little red car was packed full of bags, as was Xander's car. Spike had somewhere acquired a double cab pick up truck and was busy putting more bags into the bed.  
  
"I thought I said to bring only that which is necessary for your survival."  
  
"But we did, if we are going to be fighting nasties, then Tara and I need our magical supplies, and then there are weapons, and Dawn packed a few coolers of food," Willow was ticking off items on her fingers. "Oh! And of course we all needed clothes and stuff. Anya has a lot of shoes, but maybe they will come in handy."  
  
Giles' eyebrows shot up.  
  
Willow looked somewhat abashed. "Well, you know, she has a lot of spike heels and all that. Oooh! And she has wooden platforms from last year! We could whittle them into stakes if we get desperate!"  
  
Giles shook his head and sighed. "Willow, we aren't fighting supernatural forces here."  
  
Willow looked perplexed. "We aren't?"  
  
"No, we aren't. These are just regular humans with extraordinary resources."  
  
"Oh." Willow looked down, then looked back up and wrinkled her nose. "Then who are these guys?"  
  
Giles scratched his head. "I'll inform you all later, right now, I need you to perform that shield ritual which will prevent them from doing a locator spell on us. It will give us a little more time."  
  
Willow nodded and went to find Tara.  
  
Spike came up to Giles and stood, rocking on his heels with both hands shoved deep into his back pockets, for once not wearing his trademark duster.  
  
"It's the Watcher Council isn't it?" Spike whispered softly.  
  
Giles looked at him, sadness in his eyes, and nodded. Spike shrugged a shoulder. "Thought as much, what is it they want from us?"  
  
Giles said nothing, but Spike followed his eyes over to where Buffy was strapping Liam into the back seat of the truck.  
  
"Why do they want him? Because of his abilities?"  
  
"It is a little more complicated than that, Spike. But yes, that is one of the reasons."  
  
Spike took his hands out of his pockets and turned to face Giles. "What's the whole story, mate? I want to know why it is I am protecting this kid."  
  
Sighing, Giles just shook his head. "I can't tell you Spike... especially you. If you are looking to sooth your artificial conscious, just know that the boy is not evil, he just fell into the wrong hands."  
  
Spike looked down for a moment and shuffled his feet, when he looked back up at Giles, his eyes were rimmed with pain and barely subdued anger. "After all I have done for you people, after I helped you all summer, and protected you, and devoted my entire being to becoming a good man, you still don't trust me."  
  
Giles sighed deeply and looked Spike in the eye. "Spike, it isn't that I don't trust you. Well... I-I don't really... however... There is a reason I am guarding this secret so closely. I can't tell Buffy either, it w- would..." He stopped to clear his throat. "After all she has gone through in the past few months, it would tear out her heart."  
  
He stopped to look over at Buffy, seeing her talking quietly with Liam, and his heart broke at the sight. Keeping a check on his emotions, Giles continued. "If you love Buffy, as you say you do, as you have shown us that you do, then don't pursue this further. Just let it rest. If the time ever comes, then I will tell all of you, but until then, we must keep a lid on this."  
  
Spike nodded, and started to walk away, but he stopped and half turned his head to look at Giles over his shoulder. "You'll have to tell them somethin', mate. But I'll try to keep her from getting too suspicious of any lies you have to make up."  
  
Giles stared at Spike in dumbfounded gratitude, and murmured his thanks.  
  
"No problem, I just hope I don't regret having to lie to her."  
  
Spike walked over to the truck and hopped in the driver's seat. Cranking the engine, he yelled out to the other drivers, and steered the blue truck slowly down the street.  
  
*****  
  
"Spike, we need to stop. I really have to go."  
  
Spike looked over at Buffy, who was squirming in her seat. It had been well over 3 hours since they had left Sunnydale, the sun would be up soon.  
  
"Yeah, we need to find a place to stay for the day anyway. I'll find somewhere to stop at first though."  
  
Buffy shot him a grateful look and then turned to gaze at the sleeping boy in the back cab.  
  
"I wonder why they want him....I mean, he is really gifted and stuff, but...I don't know, he is just a baby still."  
  
Buffy looked over at Dawn, who was also sleeping in the back. "But then again, so is she, and Glory wanted to kill her for what she really is." Buffy sighed. "Looks can be deceiving I guess."  
  
She didn't see the pain on Spike's face as he drove along, but he was thinking the same thing, and wishing that the Slayer would look beyond his appearance, beyond his monstrosity, and see the man inside struggling to come out.  
  
"We're here, go to the loo. I'm going inside to get a pack a' fags." Buffy and Spike got out of the truck as the two vehicles behind them also pulled into the small, rundown gas station.  
  
Anya jumped from Xander's car. "Thank God! I thought I was going to burst!"  
  
She ran to the ladies' room, grabbed the key from Buffy, and slammed the door in her face.  
  
"And I thought I had to go....geez."  
  
The others climbed out and stretched their sore muscles; some yawning and others jumping up and down to get circulation going again.  
  
Giles opened the passenger side to his vehicle and looked at Grace, who was propped up with pillows in her seat, still unconscious. After taking her pulse, he shook his head.  
  
"We need to take her to a hospital, I think she might be in a coma."  
  
"The nearest town is about 10 miles away, they might have a clinic or something." Willow said.  
  
Giles nodded. "Yes, it would be better for her to be in a small town, where they wouldn't be able to find her as easily. I regret leaving her behind, but we have no choice."  
  
He smoothed back curly strands of hair from her pale, seemingly lifeless face. "She would understand though, she would tell us to go on and..."  
  
Loud banging interrupted Giles as Buffy slammed on the door to the bathroom with her hand.  
  
"Anya! What are you doing in there? I'm about to pee on myself! Hurry up!"  
  
A quiet sniffle echoed against the walls of the bathroom and made it's way to Buffy's ears.  
  
"I did."  
  
"Did what?"  
  
"I peed on myself. I didn't get here on time."  
  
"Anya..." Buffy started to soothe her.  
  
"I ruined my new Donna Karen skirt! Now I have to give someone else my money so I can...*sniff*...get annooooootherrrrr!"  
  
By this point, intense wailing was coming from the bathroom. Buffy just rolled her eyes and muttered softly to herself.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me."  
  
*****  
  
After many debates, the Scoobies had finally decided to get one hotel room in town. This was as much to stand together in a united front as to keep anyone from getting so carried away with hanky panky that they didn't notice any danger to the others.  
  
Buffy was almost asleep on one of the beds, holding Liam close to her, when she heard Spike whispering to her.  
  
"Slayer, are you awake still?"  
  
She looked over to where Spike was sitting up against the wall, under the no smoking sign, inhaling deeply from his cigarette.  
  
"Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?"  
  
"Nothin' really, I just wanted someone to talk with. Guard duty being the boring pain in the arse as it is and what all."  
  
"So what, you want me to get no sleep so I can be just as miserable as you are?"  
  
"Hey now, if that's the way you're going to be, then I don't need your company."  
  
Buffy sighed and propped herself up on one arm. "What's buggin' you?"  
  
"Me? Not a thing, love. I'm just wonderin' what this is all about; and why I have to be a part of it."  
  
"Because we need you, Spike. You're a good fighter, and you..." Buffy wrinkled her forehead. "And you... I don't know. Giles wanted you to come for some reason. We need as many people on our side as we can get."  
  
"Yeah, but what is it we're fightin' for, Slayer?"  
  
Buffy got a blank look. "I don't know. But I know that I trust Giles, he wouldn't have us here if it weren't for a good reason."  
  
Spike glanced over at Giles, who was snoring softly in the corner on the floor, his back turned to them. Taking another puff from his cigarette, he exhaled a cloud of smoke.  
  
"Yeah, I know you trust 'im."  
  
*****  
  
After many weeks of travelling and zigzagging across the country, the small entourage arrived at their destination; Daytona Beach, Florida.  
  
"Ye Gods, we traded one Sunnyhell for another. Couldn't we have gone somewhere that is vampire friendly? Like the Arctic Circle or something?"  
  
"Shut up, Spike." Buffy said, not looking back at Spike as she surveyed their new home.  
  
"Yes, mistress." Spike sneered.  
  
"Oh you play that game too, Buffy? Xander loves it when I whip him with the...."  
  
"Anya!"  
  
Anya turned and smiled sweetly at Xander. "I'm sorry honey, I shouldn't give away my secrets to Buffy. They might not work on Spike like they do on you. We should let them make up their own sex games."  
  
Xander groaned in embarrassment, Giles took off his glasses to polish them, trying to keep the image of Buffy in leather whipping Spike firmly out of his head. But then a picture of Anya whipping Xander came to mind and he pinched the bridge of his nose until he thought it would snap off in his hand.  
  
"Dear God." Giles sighed wearily from behind his hand. "Are we there yet?"  
  
***** 


	2. Chapter Two

The songs in this part are not mine, they belong to Alice in Chains and whoever else they belong to. Heaven beside you, and Down in a hole. Thought they were fitting, if you don't think so, let me know, I'll take your comments into consideration. If you know of a better B/S song, then tell me. :) See ya!  
  
Giles had acquired a large house, directly on the beach. The pounding of the surf from the Atlantic Ocean and calling of seagulls surrounded them. It was a peaceful and relaxing setting, which lulled them all into a misplaced sense of security.  
  
After spending two days setting up the house to their liking, they all decided that it was time for a break, and happily put on suitable clothes for an outing to the Boardwalk, which was about a mile down the beach.  
  
Giles agreed to take his turn watching Liam, so the Scoobies were free to roam out and about as long as they pleased.  
  
"Ooh! I want to go in there!" Dawn exclaimed as she saw an open tattoo stall.  
  
"You are not getting a tattoo, Dawn."  
  
"Buffy, don't be silly! I don't want a tattoo anymore, I just want to watch them do it, it looks neat."  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh come on, Buffy! I promise I won't get into trouble or anything." Dawn weedled.  
  
Buffy looked into the stall, where a fat, bald biker type was getting a large, intricate Chinese dragon tattooed around the back of his head. She shuddered.  
  
"Fine, if you want to see someone get ink shoved into his brain, more power to you. Don't go too far off, and meet me at the entrance to the boardwalk by ten."  
  
Dawn jumped up and down with excitement. "Thanks, sis! You're the best!" She squeezed Buffy in a tight embrace.  
  
"Yeah, well if you're late you aren't going anywhere for a month."  
  
"I won't be late. Thank you!"  
  
Dawn squealed again, gripping Buffy even tighter before she ran off down the boardwalk back to the tattoo shop.  
  
Buffy shook her head, and turned to catch up with the rest of her friends, however no one was in sight but Spike, leaning against a rail smoking a cigarette.  
  
"Where did everyone go?"  
  
Spike tossed the butt into the ocean, and stepped away from the railing.  
  
"Anya, Willow, and Tara found a leather shop and dragged the Whelp inside."  
  
"A leather shop?"  
  
Spike nodded and pointed behind her to a window. Anya was inside, picking up a cat o' nine tails and showing it to a beat red Xander.  
  
"Looks like it's just you and me tonight, pet."  
  
Buffy looked back in the window at the two happy couples and smiled a little sadly.  
  
"Yeah, just you and me."  
  
Seeing the look on Buffy's face, Spike came up beside her and shoved his hands in his pockets.  
  
"Come on, I know of a place we can go to lift your spirits."  
  
*****  
  
"A karaoke bar?"  
  
Spike nodded, and grabbed her hand to pull her through the crowd to a small table in the corner.  
  
"Yeah, figured you might get a good laugh at least."  
  
Buffy looked around at the patrons, mostly drunk, chattering and carrying on loudly with one another. A barmaid came up to them and took their drink order; Spike got bourbon, straight up, and Buffy ordered a Diet Coke.  
  
"This is a bar, you can drink something other than that shite."  
  
"I don't want to make an ass of myself tonight if I can help it."  
  
"Eh, I wouldn't let you make an ass of yourself, love."  
  
Buffy looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing. There was a prompter and microphone set up to one side of a slightly raised platform, not much higher than the floor itself. Someone was belting out a very bad version of a Britney Spears' song, not to mention the fact that they were a heavyset biker with a falsetto voice.  
  
Buffy shuddered. "God, I wish someone would let him know he isn't Britney Spears! He is ruining any chance I had of ever buying one of her albums."  
  
She tilted her head to the side. "But then again, it wasn't likely I was going to buy one in the first place."  
  
"Do you want me to sing instead?" Spike regarded Buffy over his glass of whiskey.  
  
Buffy looked at Spike, and she grinned. "Yeah, it would perk me up considerably to see you make an ass of yourself."  
  
"Hey now, I'm not that bad."  
  
"Ok, tough guy, go prove it."  
  
"All right, I will." Spike pushed himself up from the table. "Got any suggestions?"  
  
Buffy shrugged. "Nah, anything is better than the crap he is singing now."  
  
Spike strode over to the DJ and flipped through the song titles. Finding one to his liking, he whispered something to the DJ and walked over to the man onstage. The terrifying sounds of Britney Spears came to a stop, and the drunken biker looked kind of pissed.  
  
"Hey man, whad'ya turn off my song for! That was Britney Spears man! She's hot!"  
  
"Yeah, and you're not. Let's go, grease boy."  
  
Spike shoved the drunk guy off, jumped up on the platform and sat on a stool; hooking one foot through the bars.  
  
Twanging guitar music and drums came out of the speakers, and Spike sat there, tapping the beat with one boot, head tipped back and eyes closed, waiting for his cue. When the words started, his eyes snapped open and he addressed the crowd.  
  
*Be what you want to be.  
  
See what you came to see.  
  
Do what you want to be.  
  
I don't like what I what I see.*  
  
There was some good-natured shouting from the crowd as he said this last line. But for the next few verses, Spike only looked at Buffy.  
  
*Like the coldest winter chill.  
  
Heaven beside you, hell within  
  
Like the coldest winter will.  
  
Heaven beside you, hell within.  
  
And you think you have it still.  
  
Heaven beside you.  
  
So there's problems in your life.  
  
That's fucked up, and I'm not blind.  
  
I'm just see-through  
  
Faded,  
  
Super jaded,  
  
Out of my mind.*  
  
Buffy tried to pull her eyes away from him, she was starting to feel uncomfortable. But Spike's gaze was riveting her to the seat and she couldn't help but listen to every word.  
  
*Do what you want to do  
  
Go out and seek your truth.  
  
When I'm down and blue.  
  
Rather be me than you.  
  
Like the coldest winter chill  
  
Heaven beside you, hell within.  
  
Like the coldest winter will.  
  
Heaven beside you, hell within  
  
And you wish you had it still  
  
Heaven inside you.*  
  
Buffy was seething. She felt as if he was discussing her private pain with the world and laughing at it. How dare he? She started to get up, but seeing the look in Spike's eyes, she sat back on the stool. Buffy realized that he didn't mean it like she thought. He was trying to tell her something though, that much was apparent.  
  
*So there's problems in your life.  
  
That's fucked up, I'm not blind.  
  
I'm just see-through  
  
Faded,  
  
Super jaded,  
  
Out of my mind.  
  
Like the coldest winter chill.  
  
Heaven beside you, hell within  
  
Like the coldest winter chill  
  
Heaven beside you, hell within  
  
Like the coldest winter will  
  
Heaven beside you, hell within.  
  
And you know you have it still  
  
Heaven inside you.*  
  
What was Spike talking, or uh, singing about? Was that just part of the song? The intense look he gave her when he sang that last line was something that she couldn't ignore. She was going to have to have a serious talk with him when he got off of that stage.  
  
*So there's problems in your life.  
  
That's fucked up, but you're not blind.  
  
You're just see-through  
  
Faded,  
  
Overrated,  
  
And out of your mind.*  
  
The guitars and drums faded away, and Spike bowed somewhat cheekily, bathed in the soft glow that the stage afforded. The crowd clapped wildly, and they encored.  
  
He went to give the microphone back to the DJ, but he made him keep it and pick out another song.  
  
Spike hesitated, then he looked at Buffy, who had her head down, apparently studying her shoe with sad concentration. So he turned to flip once more through the music book.  
  
Finding a song to his liking, Spike told the DJ and then walked back to the platform, once again sitting on the stool. The gentle guitar started and he sung softly at first, longing apparent in his voice.  
  
*Bury me softly in this womb  
  
I give this part of me for you  
  
Sand rains down and here I sit  
  
Holding rare flowers  
  
In a tomb... in bloom*  
  
The music picked up in tempo and he almost screamed the next verse and chorus.  
  
*Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved  
  
See my heart I decorate it like a grave  
  
You don't understand who they  
  
Thought I was supposed to be  
  
Look at me now a man  
  
Who won't let himself be  
  
Down in a hole, losin' my soul  
  
Down in a hole, losin' control  
  
I'd like to flyyyyyyyy!*  
  
Spike's voice got sad and quiet as he sang the next line.  
  
*But my wings have been so denied  
  
Down in a hole and they've put all  
  
The stones in their place  
  
I've eaten the sun so my tongue  
  
Has been burned of the taste  
  
I have been guilty  
  
Of kicking myself in the teeth  
  
I will speak no more  
  
of my feelings beneath  
  
Down in a hole, losin' my soul  
  
Down in a hole, losin' control  
  
I'd like to flyyyyyyyy!  
  
But my wings have been so denied!  
  
Bury me softly in this womb  
  
Oh I want to be inside of you  
  
I give this part of me for you  
  
Oh I want to be inside of you  
  
Sand rains down and here I sit  
  
Oh I want to be inside of you  
  
Holding rare flowers  
  
In a tomb... in bloom*  
  
Spike found Buffy's eyes in the crowd and held them closely as he sung the next line, the emotion in his eyes almost painful to see.  
  
*Oh I want to be inside of you*  
  
Buffy's eyes started to brim with tears, and she quickly looked down, blinking furiously to keep them from falling. So much grief and longing was in his voice.... she couldn't help but be affected by it.  
  
*Down in a hole, losin' my soul  
  
Down in a hole, feelin' so small  
  
Down in a hole, losin' my soul  
  
Down in a hole, out of control  
  
I'd like to flyyyyyyy!  
  
But my wings have been so denied!*  
  
Once again the bar dissolved in thunderous clapping, sprinkled here and there with a sniffle or a sigh. Buffy's heart was racing, she stood up, almost knocking over her stool, and ran out the door.  
  
Spike saw her run by out of the corner of his eye. Tossing the mike back to the DJ, he took off after her.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
She kept going, running to the entrance of the boardwalk and down the steps to the pilings beneath. There she stopped and slumped up against a pillar, trying to catch her breath.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
Spike came running up to her, pulling up short and skidding sand in all directions as his heightened agility kept him from falling down.  
  
"Just go away, Spike."  
  
Spike looked at her. "Buffy...."  
  
"Just go! You're gonna do it anyway, so you should just leave now!"  
  
He regarded her for a moment, his head tilted to the side as understanding dawned on him.  
  
"Is that what this is all about? You think I'm going to stop helping you and go back to wherever?"  
  
Buffy turned her back on him and pressed her face up against the rough wood of the piling.  
  
"You might as well, God knows that everyone else I lo--" Buffy bit her tongue as she realized what she was about to say.  
  
Spike stood there, stunned and disbelieving. "What were you goin' to say?"  
  
Buffy hugged her arms more closely to her body, trying desperately to stop shivering.  
  
"Forget it, I just...nothing. Just get out of here, Spike."  
  
Spike went up to Buffy and spun her around so that she was facing him. He gripped her arms with white knuckles.  
  
"What were you going to say Buffy?"  
  
His voice was shaky and it betrayed all of the emotions he was keeping bubbled beneath the surface.  
  
"I was just going to say that everyone else leaves, so why should you be any different."  
  
Spike looked at her down turned head, and raised a finger to gently push up her pale face.  
  
"Why can't you say it, Buffy? Why can't you admit it to me?"  
  
Buffy tried to turn her face away, but he wouldn't let her. "Look at me, Buffy."  
  
She glanced upwards and rested her gaze on his nose.  
  
"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me. If you don't love me, I'll leave and never look back. But if you do...." Spike trailed off. "If you love me, Buffy I will never leave you unless you want me to go."  
  
Buffy defiantly looked up into his large, blue eyes. She wanted to say no, she wanted to tell him he could go to hell, she wanted to shout at him, call him names, to deny him. But she couldn't; she couldn't speak a word because she saw his love for her, his anger at her, his hope for a gentle let down.  
  
"I--I...." Buffy looked down but Spike jerked her chin back up sharply. "I......huh..."  
  
Buffy grunted and broke from his grasp, turning away and started walking. She stopped about twenty feet away from him. Her shoulders slumped, and she sighed in defeat.  
  
"I love you." Buffy mouthed softly to herself and she started walking again. But the sharp senses of the one she was leaving behind caught the whispered confession.  
  
Spike couldn't believe his ears, but he didn't let disbelief stop him. If he had truly imagined those three little words, then he was going to pay for it dearly because he intended to act as if they were real regardless of the consequences.  
  
Buffy turned around to look at him. Moving more quickly than could be seen by the human eye, he was standing in front of her. Spike grasped her around the waist and pulled her to him roughly. She didn't resist as he claimed her mouth with all of the pent up passion and longing that was within him. She kissed him back hungrily and he moved from her lips, across her cheek. Sucking on her ear, he moved down and crushing her up further against his chest, he kissed her neck where it joined her shoulder. A moan escaped Buffy's lips as she dropped her purse and raised her hands up to run them through Spike's hair, pulling him deeper into her embrace.  
  
Spike nibbled across her collarbone to the other side of her neck where he started to suck deeply, pulling small droplets of blood to the surface of her skin. Growling, he felt his fangs emerging, but reigned them in as best he could. He slid his hands down to cup her buttocks.  
  
Suddenly, there was the sound of high-pitched giggling in the dark. Buffy and Spike sprang apart and looked to see Xander being chased down the beach by Willow, Tara, and Anya; who was holding up a leather thong. Scrambling behind a pillar, they waited there, praying that they weren't seen.  
  
"Xander! Wait up, honey! I want you to show off your new thong to Will and Tara!"  
  
Xander ran to the front of Buffy and Spike's pillar, backing up against it, he slid down on his butt, trying to catch his breath. Willow, Tara, and Anya caught up, quickly surrounding him.  
  
He looked up at Willow.  
  
"Hey, you're supposed to be my best friend! Why are you letting her torture me like this? It's embarrassing."  
  
Willow laughed. "Because it's fun! You should have seen your face when she held that latex suit up to size for you!"  
  
Tara and Willow laughed harder and Anya started giggling. Xander muttered under his breath and propped his elbows up on his knees, and turned his head to the side. Looking down, he saw Buffy's purse, half buried in the sand.  
  
"Hey guys, stop for a minute."  
  
Xander picked up the small, leather bag. "It's Buffy's purse!"  
  
Buffy, still standing with Spike behind the pillar groaned inwardly.  
  
"Oh no! What if something's happened to her!" Willow looked around, starting to panic.  
  
"Shh... I-I'm sure she's fine, honey."  
  
Tara looked around them and saw the sand, which had been kicked up in patches. "Although it does look like there was some sort of struggle." Tara amended quietly.  
  
Willow frowned. "Come on, guys. We need to start looking for her. Anya, can you go to a payphone and call Giles? We might need him to help, and he needs to know what's happened."  
  
Buffy held up one finger and pressed it against her lips, then she mouthed to Spike, 'let's get out of here'. He nodded quickly, not really wanting to be around when they actively started searching for her.  
  
Quietly, they started to tiptoe away while Willow was still busy handing out instructions on how to go about the search.  
  
"Wait guys, I know of a spell that we can use to track her! Xander, hand me her purse."  
  
Willow took the bag, ignoring Tara's look of disapproval, and sprinkled it with some ground herbs out of her purse, chanting softly into the night.  
  
"Goddess of truth and knowledge, show me that which I seek, make it plain to me as the light of day."  
  
As soon as the chant was ended, the purse in Willow's hands burst into a bright blue and the area started to glow brightly in the same hue. There was a trail of light leading from where they had come from, a patch of illumination on the pillar before them, and then the trail went around the pillar.  
  
"See? Now all we have to do is follow the trail! Anything that has come in contact with her body within the last hour will glow."  
  
Willow, Tara, and Xander started following the trail of light around the wooden piling and down the beach.  
  
*****  
  
"Spike, why are your hands glowing?"  
  
Spike looked down and, sure enough, his hands were glowing, as was the entire front of his shirt and pants.  
  
"Bloody hell, Slayer. You're glowing all over!"  
  
Buffy snickered.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"Your teeth are glowing!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"It looks like you swallowed a glow stick in there, your whole mouth is blue."  
  
Spike wiped at his mouth ineffectually, trying desperately to get the blue glow off of him. He heard Buffy laugh again. "Your hair is glowing too."  
  
"Aww shit, what the soddin' hell is going on here?"  
  
Buffy stopped laughing and looked around, behind her she saw a trail of blue footprints leading back beneath the boardwalk.  
  
"Oh no."  
  
"What?"  
  
Buffy scrunched up her forehead. "I think that Willow cast a spell to find me."  
  
"Then why am I glowing?"  
  
Buffy looked at him, the light was covering him in patches here and there; on his face, hands, and shirtfront mostly. She touched his arm and pulled back her hand, leaving a bright blue handprint.  
  
"I think that it affects anything I touch."  
  
"Cripes, Slayer! What the hell are they going to say when they see me glowing like a bloody jack 'o lantern!"  
  
Hearing a noise, Buffy turned around and saw Xander, Willow, and Tara walking towards them.  
  
"I don't know, but we are about to find out."  
  
"Shit. I just won't turn around is all. Maybe they won't notice."  
  
Buffy glanced at his blue hair. "I don't think that's gonna work, but you can give it a shot."  
  
"Damn right I will!"  
  
Buffy got a wicked gleam in her eye. Reaching out, she grabbed Spike on the rear, almost making him lose his balance. She left a brilliant azure handprint.  
  
"Hey! Do you want the welp to kill me?"  
  
"Shhh... they're almost here."  
  
Willow looked up from the trail that she had been following closely with her eyes and could see Buffy's brilliant form before her. She broke out in a run.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
Spike closed his eyes. "Here we go..."  
  
Willow almost toppled Buffy over, hugging her tightly.  
  
"Oh my God, I was so worried about you! W-we found your purse, and we thought you were kidnapped or-- or something....and...and....oh my God, I'm so glad you're all right!"  
  
Willow hugged her a little tighter and Xander came up behind them, giving them both a big bear hug.  
  
"Buff! Man, I'm glad you're all right! We were worried."  
  
Buffy tried, but failed to extricate herself from the smothering group hug, finally she gave up and mumbled into whoever's shoulder her face was smushed into.  
  
"I'm fine, really. You guys worry too much."  
  
Tara had come up quietly behind them. "I'm glad you are ok, Buffy. There was a-a lot of sand kicked up back there and it looked like there had been a fight or something."  
  
Willow and Xander finally let go of Buffy and she straightened out her shirt. "Geez, guys, try not to kill me next time ok?"  
  
"Why is Spike's hair glowing?" Tara asked. They all turned to look at Spike, who still had his back to them, hiding his hands in his pockets.  
  
"Uh...well...uh...the Slayer and I were just....just...."  
  
"Sparring, we were just having a friendly fight, you know... to keep in practice and stuff..." Buffy finished for him nervously. "You know," She threw a couple of punches in the air. "Gotta keep in shape and stuff."  
  
Willow looked at Buffy, then at Spike. Looking down, she saw the glowing handprint on the back of his jeans. She started trying to walk around him to see his face better, but Spike turned away.  
  
"I-I think I had better go now, I'll catch up to you all later."  
  
Spike started to walk away, but Buffy reached out a hand and dragged him back by his duster.  
  
"Not so fast, mister, if I have to stay here then so do you."  
  
Spike let his shoulders slump as he turned around, shutting his eyes tightly. When Xander didn't punch him, he popped open one eye and found that they were all staring at him, mouths open in amazement.  
  
"What?" He asked, showing his luminous blue mouth. "You look like stunned sheep."  
  
"Y-your mouth is blue." Xander pointed out.  
  
"Thank you Capt'n Obvious! I'm bloody well aware that my mouth is blue!"  
  
"Buff, why is his mouth blue?"  
  
"Uh..." Buffy trailed off, trying to think of something to say; she scratched her neck absently.  
  
"He bit you!"  
  
"Hey, I didn't bite her. Well...at least not like that anyway...." Spike backed off, eyebrows riding high on his forehead, hands up as Xander started towards him. Buffy held him back with one hand and moved closer to Spike.  
  
"Whoa, down boy! Let me explain..."  
  
"Explain? Explain what? Spike is lit up like a Christmas tree and you have bite marks on your neck! What the hell is going on here?"  
  
"It isn't a bite mark, Xander. It's a...a...hickey...." Buffy mumbled.  
  
"A hickey! Whoa, that is so cool! Spike gave you a hickey? Go Spike!"  
  
Buffy's head snapped up as she heard Dawn speak from over Tara's shoulder. She groaned. "Now my day is complete...."  
  
"So what is with the glowing Buffy trail anyway? And the glowing Buffy too."  
  
Tara piped up. "Oh Willow did a spell to find Buffy 'cause we thought she was in trouble...only...she wasn't in trouble. S-she was with Spike."  
  
"Yeah, speaking of that spell anyway, how long is this supposed to last? 'Cos I really don't fancy walking around looking like I just kissed a Smurf."  
  
*****  
  
"Why is Buffy glowing?" Giles asked as he opened the door to a brightly colored Slayer and the Scoobies.  
  
Dawn volunteered. "Oh, Willow thought Buffy was in trouble so she cast a spell so that they could follow her. It lights up everything she touches."  
  
Giles almost closed the door on Spike, as he entered last.  
  
" 'Scuse me, mate." Spike said as he pushed the door the rest of the way open. Giles stared at him, taking in the bright blue hair, face, hands, and clothes.  
  
"Then why is Spike glowing too?"  
  
Buffy frowned and whimpered, running up the stairs to her room, she slammed the door.  
  
"I wonder what other parts of Spike are glowing..."  
  
"Anya!"  
  
"What? Well I do."  
  
Spike covered his face with one hand and walked to the basement, slamming the door behind him. 


	3. Chapter Three

Buffy rolled over and looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was already a few minutes past midnight, and the sandman was obviously not going to be making an appearance anytime soon.  
  
She was restless. Usually she was out slaying right now, not tucked up in bed waiting for sleep. Jumping out of bed, Buffy threw on her robe and padded softly down the hall to Liam's bedroom.  
  
Slowly, she opened his door and let the light glow from the hallway inside. Liam was twisting around under his bedclothes, drops of sweat bathing his face.  
  
"Liam? Are you ok?"  
  
He started moaning and writhing, jerking at the sheets that he had managed to wrap around himself.  
  
"Nooooo. Get away from me!"  
  
Buffy frowned. "Liam?"  
  
She crossed the room and knelt down beside the bed, shaking him gently, she said, "Liam, wake up! You're having a nightmare."  
  
He continued to moan and flail his arms. "Noooooo! Don't poke me with that!"  
  
Buffy shook him harder. "Liam! Wake up!"  
  
He stopped moving for a moment and lay blinking up at her. "Buffy?"  
  
"Yes, it's me. You were having a bad dream." Buffy smiled and got up so she could sit on the bed. "Wanna talk about it?"  
  
Liam hugged his knees, and looked down. "It wasn't anything special, I dream the same things every night. It was from w-when they had me."  
  
Buffy hugged Liam to her, playing with his golden curls for a few minutes before he asked her. "Buffy, why am I so different? I-I mean, why can't I be like the other children my age?"  
  
Buffy looked down, it troubled her that this little boy was in so much pain. He felt outcast from his peers, just like she did.  
  
"Liam, you are just smarter than they are. And that isn't a bad thing all the time. But I know that it can be hard to deal with too. You should be able to enjoy your childhood, and play with toys. You shouldn't have to worry about what will happen if a bunch of icky people find you again."  
  
"But I do. They will...."  
  
Buffy put her finger over his lips. "Shhh... I'm not going to let them have you again. If they ever do find us, I will fight to the death if necessary, but they won't get you. I promise I will do everything I can to keep you safe and happy, Liam."  
  
"You promise?"  
  
Buffy nodded and smiled. "You can count on it."  
  
She smoothed the hair back from his sweaty face. "Now, you need to go back to sleep. Minus the icky dreams....hmmnn..." Buffy smiled. "Hey, how 'bout I sing you a song that my mom used to sing to me when I couldn't sleep. Would you like that?"  
  
Liam nodded and Buffy started singing a lullaby, rocking him and running her fingers through his hair as she looked up at the ceiling. After the third time she had sung the same song, she glanced down and noticed that he had fallen asleep. Slipping out from behind him, she gently guided his head to the pillow and covered him with the blanket.  
  
"Hey, it worked. Can't tell whether I bored him to death or if he liked the singing though." Buffy shrugged. "Oh well, at least he is asleep."  
  
Closing the door softly behind her, Buffy made her way downstairs to the kitchen. Rounding the corner past the breakfast nook, she saw that she wasn't the only one who had ideas about getting a midnight snack.  
  
"Oh... hi Spike."  
  
Spike turned around, blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. "Slayer."  
  
Buffy looked down, shifting nervously, as did Spike; neither really knowing what to say. Buffy looked up first. "Spike, I..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I..." Buffy trailed off, she went to the sink and grabbed a washcloth.  
  
"Hold still."  
  
"What?"  
  
She wiped the trickle of blood from his mouth and chin. "You had some blood on your face."  
  
"Oh. Is it gone now?"  
  
Buffy grabbed his chin and turned his head from side to side. "Yep, all gone."  
  
She released his face and went to turn away, but Spike grabbed her hand so she turned around. "Buffy, about what happened earlier..."  
  
"I don't want to talk about it, Spike. I just want to get a snack and try to get some sleep."  
  
"Don't give me that bullshit, Slayer. We kissed and you told me that you lo- -"  
  
"I know what I told you, Spike. I don't want to think about it right now. I just want to go to bed. Good night."  
  
Buffy turned once again, this time to go back to her room and try to sleep.  
  
"No you don't. I'm not letting you get away that easily!"  
  
He grabbed her arm and spun her around, before Buffy knew what was happening, Spike had her in his embrace and was kissing her deeply. She tried to get away, but he only tightened his hold on her, and eventually she stopped struggling and kissed him back. She was getting light-headed, so she pushed him away.  
  
"Spike stop, I'm getting dizzy."  
  
The offending party grinned rakishly. "Well, I knew I had an affect on the ladies, but I didn't think I could make them swoon and all."  
  
"It wasn't from your kiss, Spike."  
  
His face fell. "But it was still nice. I just--just.... I don't feel ri---"  
  
Buffy started to fall to the floor, but Spike's strong arms caught her before she hit the linoleum.  
  
"Buffy! Slayer! Wake up!" Spike patted her on the cheek a few times, then he rose up quickly, still holding Buffy closely to him. He smelled something in the air, it was....not natural.  
  
He glanced up towards the front door just in time to see it splinter open and several men in black fatigues run through the remains into the living room.  
  
"That must be the creature! He is immune to the affects of the gas. Take him down, but don't kill him, she wants him alive."  
  
Spike growled at them, features shifting down into game face, he lifted Buffy up and tossed her over one shoulder as he ran and jumped out the window. Spike didn't get more than twenty feet towards the beach before he felt a sharp pain between his shoulder blades. Reaching back, he pulled the dart out with one hand and kept going. But already he was growing weary from the tranquilliser he felt sure had tipped the dart's point.  
  
Stumbling to his knees, Spike tried desperately to keep conscious long enough to scribble a message in the sand before he passed out and darkness claimed him.  
  
*****  
  
"Search the house, get the boy! He is here somewhere." The dark haired woman in crimson business suit shouted out to the recon team. Two of her men dragged Spike and Buffy into the room, both unconscious.  
  
"What should we do with these two, Madame Leeves?"  
  
Leeves smiled coldly. "Excellent! Put them in the van and restrain them with heavy shackling. We need them alive so don't use damaging force if they awaken."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
Leeves walked to the kitchen and surveyed the damage Spike had caused. Muttering a spell beneath her breath, she raised her hands up and all the shattered glass jumped back into place.  
  
"That should buy us some time."  
  
Walking back into the living room, she did the same thing to the front door.  
  
"Madame Leeves, we found the child. What should we do with the others?"  
  
"The others? Leave them."  
  
"B-but Ma'am! Do you really think that is wise?"  
  
"I don't like leaving loose ends anymore than you do, but I was given orders only for the Slayer, the boy, and the vampire. All the others were to be left alone. Now take the boy to the van and I'll be out shortly."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
Leeves flipped open her cell phone and dialled a number, waiting for the other party to pick up, she could barely contain her excitement; what a prize catch! William the Bloody, the boy, and the Slayer!  
  
"Operation Liam was successful, more than successful. All goals were accomplished."  
  
She listened for instructions from the other end.  
  
"Yes, Sir. All goals. Yes, Sir. Yes, I've already done that. The same place as planned? We will be there before sunrise."  
  
Leeves flipped the phone closed, ending the call. Turning off the lights, she walked out the front door, carefully locking it behind her.  
  
*****  
  
Buffy wearily swam towards consciousness, instantly feeling a headache and wishing that she were still asleep. Something didn't feel right though. Groggily, she opened one eye and found darkness surrounding her. As Buffy's eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light, she saw Spike propped up before her; bound by steel shackles and tied to the support beam of a... building? Yes, they were in a basement or something.  
  
Buffy looked down and found that she too was shackled and tied to a pillar.  
  
"Spike! Wake up!"  
  
There was no reaction from him, he looked dead. "Well, of course he looks dead, he is dead. Geez, I must have gotten hit on the head or something."  
  
She saw a pebble lying next to her bare foot. Picking it up with her toes, she aimed it at Spike's chest and missed; hitting him in the face instead.  
  
"Oops. Spike! Wake up!"  
  
Spike groaned. "Bloody hell, Slayer. Let me be. My head hurts."  
  
"I'm gonna make your head hurt if you don't wake up!"  
  
Spike slowly raised his head to regard her through bloodshot eyes. "What?"  
  
"Do you know where we are? Who has us?"  
  
"As to your first question; no. And who has us? I have an idea..."  
  
Buffy was getting frustrated. "Well, who is it then?"  
  
Spike looked at her for a second, debating on whether or not to tell her. But seeing as Giles was not here to explain and she would more than likely find out anyway...  
  
"Giles said that the fellows we were runnin' from happened to be his chummy fellows with the Watcher's Council."  
  
"The Watchers? Are you sure?"  
  
Spike nodded as Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Why would Giles let you in on the big secret and not me?"  
  
Spike shrugged. "Probably 'cos I figured it out before the rest of you did and I told him what I thought. He asked me not to say anything 'bout it, but I figure that you'll find out now anyway, so no use hidin' it anymore."  
  
"But I don't understand, why didn't he tell me about it?"  
  
"He said it would hurt you."  
  
"But why? It isn't as if I was deluded enough to think that the Watcher's are all peaches and cream or something."  
  
"If I knew the whole soddin' story, I'd tell you. What with the cat being out of the bag and all. But that is all he told me."  
  
Buffy drew her eyebrows together in anger. "They are the ones who wanted Liam. They...." Buffy looked at Spike. "The Watchers are the ones who hurt him, the people that he kept talking about."  
  
Buffy struggled with her bonds for a moment before giving up. She saw that it was useless.  
  
"We have to get out of here and rescue him."  
  
"Whoa, now Slayer. Who the bleedin' hell is going to rescue us?"  
  
"But I promised him! I promised him that I would protect him from them. And now they have him, and I wasn't there to stop them."  
  
"Look, love... it wasn't your fault. They leaked some sort of gas into the house and everyone who wasn't asleep went out like a light. Including you. They got me with a damn dart."  
  
"How are we going to get out of here? They are obviously well prepared and they are probably waiting for us to make a move."  
  
"I know. I like 'im too. I've got quite fond of the little 'un, but we can't do anything accept take the first opportunity that we get and go. Maybe then we can build some resources up and come back. But till then, there aren't many options for us, love."  
  
Buffy didn't like this. She felt...helpless and trapped. Stuck in this dark room, chained to a post, not knowing whether her friends were dead or alive...  
  
"God, I just hope that everyone is all right..."  
  
*****  
  
Willow yawned and opened up the medicine cabinet, looking for the Tylenol. It felt like her brain was trying to escape from her skull.  
  
"I shouldn't have cast that spell last night. It really got me."  
  
Swallowing down two pills with a glass of water, Willow made her way down to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, she was feeling sluggish this morning.  
  
Yawning again, she waved good morning to Giles, Dawn, and Anya with the floppy sleeve that had covered her hand.  
  
"Mornin' everybody. Is there coffee made yet?"  
  
Giles pointed over to the pot and Willow helped herself to a mug, which was more cream than coffee, but it was hot so she didn't care.  
  
"I'm going to get Liam and take him to the beach. I don't want to go by myself, but no one else wants to go with me."  
  
"You had better ask your sister first, Dawn. You know how she feels about you wandering about unsupervised." Giles took a sip of his tea.  
  
"Yeah but if she doesn't want to go, and she won't let me then I have to be stuck in this gloomy house all day!"  
  
Willow smiled at her. "It isn't so bad, and I'm sure she'll let you go if you don't wander too far off."  
  
"Yeah right, Buffy never lets me go anywhere....."  
  
Dawn stomped up the stairs to her sister's room. Giles took another sip from his tea and opened up the newspaper for his morning read. Willow sat down with her coffee next to Anya, who was buttering a piece of toast at the bar.  
  
Dawn came running back down the stairs.  
  
"Hey guys, did Buffy leave a note or something? She isn't in her room."  
  
Giles looked up from behind his paper and looked around. "None that I've seen. Did anyone else see a note?"  
  
Willow and Anya shook their heads.  
  
"Maybe she just went shopping or something."  
  
"At nine o' clock in the morning, Will?"  
  
Willow shrugged. "You never know."  
  
"Maybe Buffy and Spike had sex and she slept in the basement with him."  
  
"Anya! Ewww...she's my sister!"  
  
But everyone's eyes slowly made their way to the door leading down into the basement. Willow got up and knocked on the door.  
  
"Buffy? Are you down there?"  
  
There was no answer so she knocked a little louder.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
Willow looked at everyone else. "I'm just going to stick my head in and shout down the stairs."  
  
She opened the door enough to shove her head through. "Buffy? Spike? Are you down there?"  
  
Once again, no answer. Willow opened the door further and crept down the stairs. "Spike? Have you seen... Spike?"  
  
Willow shot back up the stairs. "Spike isn't here either...where did they go?"  
  
*****  
  
Buffy was bored. Having already counted every crack in the floor twice, she went over the plans for escape again in her head. It really wasn't much of a plan, she just intended to kick some major ass whenever these jerks presented themselves. Then she would have to find Liam and get them all out of there. Spike wouldn't be of much help here; the people who had them were humans. Just regular human beings. Hmmph, Buffy snorted softly to herself, these guys were worse monsters than any she had fought in Sunnydale.  
  
"Spike. Have you thought of anything yet?"  
  
Spike raised his head up, regarding Buffy for a moment. "Not a thing. I don't think we are going to get out of this one, pet. These pillocks are pretty smart, and well prepared. The only thing we can do is make a break for it first chance we see..." He stopped and turned his head to the side, listening. "Which might be sooner than we thought, I hear voices outside the door."  
  
"Pretend you're still asleep."  
  
Spike nodded and closed his eyes, letting his chin fall onto his chest.  
  
The heavy, oak door creaked open and light poured inside of the makeshift prison cell. Buffy's eyes were closed almost entirely, but through the tiny slit she allowed herself, she could see several pairs of booted feet.  
  
"They're still out. It's been twelve hours already, they should have woken up by now."  
  
"Maybe they's just a' playin' 'ead."  
  
The voice of the second man made Spike twinge unconsciously; he sounded like a reject from My Fair Lady. 'Damn Cockneys...'  
  
"You know," A third man spoke up. "For once the git may be right. Maybe they are just pretending so they can jump us an' what all."  
  
"Wot? I ain't no git."  
  
The first man silenced them. "Quiet, both of you. We'll act as if they are conscious, if they aren't, no harm done. And if they are, well they won't be awake for very long."  
  
Spike didn't like this. And beside that, he had a feeling that a lot of pain was forthcoming....again. Shit! If these people were going to be this bloody cautious there was no way in hell that he and Buffy were ever going to....  
  
Spike's thoughts were interrupted as a jolting pain in the back of his neck made him raise up off of the floor and cry out. He could feel his long dead heart actually jump in his chest two times before he passed out cold. 


	4. Chapter Four

Spike woke with a blinding headache; it felt as if he had just tried to sucker punch a nun.  
  
"Christ aw'mighty!" Spike groaned as he rolled over and sat up in the bed he was lying on. Apparently the Watchers had been accommodating enough to give him something nice and soft while he recovered his perception.  
  
"Well, aren't they friendly? All they forgot was the mint on my bleedin' pillow!" Spike muttered as he slowly got up to peruse his surroundings. He heard the central air conditioning kick in overhead as he stood up. It was only when a cool draft from the vent above caressed his body that Spike realized something; he was completely naked.  
  
"Shit!" He yelped, and made a move to cover himself. As he looked around though, Spike become conscious of the fact that he was alone and it was dark; so his hands slowly dropped from where they had been covering his crotch.  
  
"What the fuck is goin' on around here?" Spike shouted to no one in particular. Suddenly, he heard a muffled voice coming from behind one of the walls.  
  
"Spike? Spike is that you?"  
  
Spike narrowed his eyes and looked to the left where he had discerned that the voice was coming from.  
  
"Slayer?" Spike asked cautiously as he slowly made his way over to the wall.  
  
"Spike, thank God you are ok. I saw them zap you."  
  
"Yeah, well other than one hell of a headache, I'm all right....what about you?"  
  
"After they zapped you, they gave you some kind of shot in the arm. Then they zapped me and I woke up here."  
  
"Shot? What kind of shot?"  
  
"You know, like a shot? Of medicine or something, one of those."  
  
"I hardly think it was medicine, love."  
  
"You know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah, I do...." Spike was perplexed; why had they even bothered to let him live? Much less shoot him up with weird potions. Were they using him as a guinea pig or some such? Spike felt all the panic of a rat in a maze; he knew the answer was somewhere but he had yet to find the cheese.  
  
Spike leaned up against the wall and let his head thunk against it softly. He looked up suddenly, the partition was very thin and shook when he had hit his head on it.  
  
Should he even try it? Why not, Spike reasoned with himself, what else could they do to him that they hadn't already done?  
  
"Buffy, get away from the wall."  
  
"What are you going to do?  
  
"Just trust me, pet. Back up."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Spike moved back a couple of feet and slammed his fist into the barrier which separated him from Buffy. The thin plaster gave way easily, almost too easily. Putting his eye up to the hole he had just made, Spike's enhanced night vision slowly picked out Buffy's face in the darkness.  
  
"Buffy? You ok?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm ok."  
  
"Stay back. I'm gonna finish off this wall right quick."  
  
After throwing a few more punches at the divider, Spike then took his hands and pulled off chunks of the drywall until he had made a fairly large hole. Climbing through it, he walked into Buffy's room. Looking around, he saw that it was set up pretty much the same as his, accept that it had a toilet in one corner and a small refrigerator next to the door; both were equipped with showers. Buffy had wrapped the sheet from her bed around her body, forming a sort of tunic. Spike, remembering his nakedness, covered himself with both hands.  
  
"Can you, uh, toss me that pillow over there, pet?"  
  
Buffy snickered and grabbed a pillow, handing it to the vampire and wondering if Spike would be blushing if he was human.  
  
"Guess they didn't get the newsflash that Adam and Eve invented clothing."  
  
"Guess not."  
  
Spike backed over to the bed and sat down, keeping his front covered with the pillow. "I wonder what their game is."  
  
Buffy sat down and shrugged. "I don't know, I'm not really sure that I want to know either."  
  
"I hear you there. Ignorance being bliss and all."  
  
Buffy and Spike sat on the bed in silence for a few minutes, each thinking the same things.  
  
"Well, it looks like they aren't going to come and force you back to your room. I don't hear any sirens going off or anything, so I guess we are all right until they come back to do whatever."  
  
Spike nodded and lay back, putting his hands behind his head. Buffy got up off of the bed and went over to inspect the small fridge.  
  
"At least they are feeding me. I'm starved."  
  
Spike sat up. "Better be careful, love. They might have drugged the food or something."  
  
Buffy looked back at him, and then at the fridge. "You know what? At this point I really don't care. There isn't much more that they can do to me that they haven't done yet."  
  
Buffy opened up the icebox and a small light came on, illuminating the room. "If we leave this open at least we will have some light."  
  
She picked up an apple and took a bite. Spike stretched back out on the bed and kept a careful eye on Buffy as she continued to happily rummage through the tiny fridge and munch on her apple.  
  
"Hey Spike! Look at this."  
  
Buffy held up a plastic bag, full of blood. Spike's eyebrows shot up and he got off the bed and went to kneel beside her in front of the fridge. The aroma coming from the bag was overwhelming and he had to fight the urge to rip it from Buffy's hand. He felt so weak and hungry; even more so now that he saw the blood.  
  
"Why did they put blood in your icebox?"  
  
"I don't know. I would think that they would put it in your room."  
  
Spike narrowed his eyes, this was getting stranger and stranger. He glanced over to the broken wall. It was thin, and had broken so easily; the plaster crumbling effortlessly under his hands. No studs, no structure, nothing to really hold it up even. And yet, all the other walls were solid concrete. It didn't make sense; it was almost as if they had anticipated him breaking down the wall between his room and Buffy's. They were playing some kind of game, and so far, Spike had played right into their hands.  
  
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this, Buffy. They expected me to break down that wall and come here. Obviously if they put blood for me in your refrigerator. What are they getting at?"  
  
"I don't know. I've kinda given up on figuring out what they are up to. But you aren't---you aren't planning on going back to your room are you?"  
  
Spike looked at Buffy and realized that even if they were doing just what the Watchers wanted, he didn't care; he wasn't about to leave Buffy here in the dark by herself.  
  
"No, love. I'm not goin' anywhere if I can help it."  
  
Buffy smiled. "That's good, cause frankly, I feel better when you're around."  
  
Spike grinned impishly. "Oh yeah? Well, why don't we take advantage of our situation, eh? Have a little fun while we can and all."  
  
Buffy punched him hard on his arm.  
  
"Hey now, it's not right you hittin' me when I can't hit you back!"  
  
Buffy grinned and said. "Well, I guess that you have to use the other weapons at your disposal, huh?"  
  
"Is that a threat, love?" Spike asked, one eyebrow arched up so that it wrinkled his forehead.  
  
Buffy got a seductive gleam in her eye. "No, it's a promise."  
  
*****  
  
Willow felt like she was about to lose her mind. Giles had finally come clean about who it was that the gang was running from after they had discovered that Liam too was missing; and of course after Dawn had found a message scrawled in wet sand behind the house.  
  
It had been two weeks almost since Buffy, Spike, and Liam had disappeared and Willow was getting desperate for an answer to where they were, or what had happened to them. Every spell she had used to locate them had failed miserably; the Watchers probably had some kind of shield spell up. But that wasn't the worst part; Willow had read Buffy's diary.  
  
It started out as idle curiosity when she found it lying on Buffy's nightstand. It was locked of course, but with a chant and a wave of her hand it was open and Willow started to read. It still sickened her. In fact, she had vomited into the small trashcan next to Buffy's bed after she had read it.  
  
Buffy had been in Heaven, and she, Willow had pulled her away from the only peace and happiness Buffy had ever known to calm her own selfish grief and sense of loss. She had been vulnerable without Buffy; like wandering in a dark place and not knowing the way because she had never been there before, never been so truly lost.  
  
Now, Willow felt sick again as she thought about what she was about to do to save Buffy again. But this was different, Buffy wasn't dead, she was in danger. And if she had to sacrifice herself in order to save Buffy... well it was worth it. Willow owed it to her.  
  
Pulling out a small, silvery talisman, Willow recited the spell engraved on the back. There was a bright swirl of colour as Willow found she standing within a circle of hooded figures. Walking towards one of them, she stopped and addressed the shape that was looming before her.  
  
"I want to take you up on that offer...." 


	5. Chapter Five

Buffy didn't know how long it had been since the night Spike had broken down the wall between their rooms. He hadn't left since, having figured that they were waiting for an opportunity to catch them alone and torture them or something.  
  
The bed sheet that Buffy had originally used as a dress was once more only a covering for the bed. She had long given up being modest around Spike since they shared pretty much everything else anyway.  
  
Stretching luxuriously, Buffy got up from the double bed and made her way over to the refrigerator next to the door. Spike called it the Magical Refilling Fridge because it was full of new foodstuffs every time it got low. Neither of them actually saw anyone come inside and fill it again. But Spike had a theory though that the wall behind it opened up and they shoved more food into it that way. Since the fridge was attached to the wall, it seemed like a good assumption to Buffy. She even left the door open for a while and pretended to be asleep to see if there was anyway they could escape through the fridge. But the Watchers never opened any secret panel, so she closed the door and went to sleep for real. When they woke up, there were fresh blood packs and more food for Buffy.  
  
Kneeling down in front of the little icebox, Buffy opened the door and started looking for something to eat. God what she wouldn't give for a hot meal. Buffy shoved that thought aside and put it on her 'If I ever get out of here, I'm doing this first' list. Spying a new bottle of shampoo, Buffy got up and put it in the shower stall before returning to the fridge to poke around for edibles. She could hear Spike waking up behind her.  
  
"Mornin', love."  
  
"Morning, Spike. They dropped off some shampoo so you can take a shower now if you want."  
  
Spike grumbled. "What I'd really like for them to drop off is some bleedin' hair spray or bleach or somethin'."  
  
Buffy laughed as she sat before the fridge, pondering on whether to have a ham sandwich or just an apple. "You know, for a vampire who can't even see himself in the mirror, you are pretty damn vain."  
  
"Yeah, well right now I'm glad that I can't see myself in the mirror. I must look a frightful mess."  
  
Buffy turned from where she was sitting on the floor and took in Spike's nude form bathed in the soft glow from the fridge light. Buffy grinned cheekily.  
  
"I think you look just fine, babe."  
  
Spike looked down at her. "Yeah? Well, I'm gonna hop in the shower real quick." He planted a quick kiss on Buffy's head as he walked past her and to the shower stall.  
  
Buffy decided on just eating an apple, so she grabbed the red skinned fruit and closed the fridge. As she sat on the bed, Buffy thought about how second nature this life in captivity had become for her. It was almost as if it had always been this way. Almost as if her and Spike had been living together and...well other things forever. It was strange how well they had adjusted to being trapped in one room for...days? Weeks? Who knew how long it had really been.  
  
"Maybe this is just how everybody deals with this sort of thing. They make it a happy place or something so that they don't go crazy. Kinda like some victims of abuse fall in love with their abusers. I don't know, this is just all way too much for me. I mean, I'm actually enjoying all of this alone time with Spike and stuff. Like I want to stay here forever, but at the same time, I miss my friends and my sister. Spike and I need to get out of here soon, before we both lose our minds completely."  
  
"Talkin' to yourself again, love?" Spike shouted from the shower.  
  
Buffy leaned back on the bed so she could lie down. "I was just thinking out loud is all."  
  
"You know, you do that a lot."  
  
"Yeah, I know. But it kinda makes me feel like there are more people here than just you and me."  
  
Spike stepped out of the shower and dried off on one of the towels that Buffy had placed on the floor next to the stall.  
  
"Now if I can find another personality we'll have four people in here. But you know, that would kinda put a damper on our sex life, havin' all those extra people around and what all."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes and continued to stare up at the ceiling. "But then again..." Spike continued. "It could be a lot of fun."  
  
Buffy sat up and threw a pillow at him. Spike caught the pillow and threw it back at her. Walking to the fridge, he pulled out a blood pack and sunk his fangs into it. Making a face, Spike finished it off and tossed the empty pack back into the icebox.  
  
"You know, I really wish they would give us a microwave or something. All this cold blood is gettin' to me."  
  
Spike sauntered over to the bed and flopped down next to Buffy. "They could at least give us something to do. A telly or some cards.... Hell, I'd even play Chutes and Ladders right now if they set it in front of me, I'm that bored."  
  
"Well, we've already told each other our life stories, we've had sex so many times I can't count, I used you as a punching bag a few times, and we've... well... we haven't really done anything else. Unless you count plotting on how to escape."  
  
"We could always plot some more. At least that would get us somewhere other than here....maybe."  
  
Buffy moved closer to Spike and laid her head on his chest. She had long ago gotten used to not hearing a heartbeat or the feel of his chest rising and falling with inhalation. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. The ventilation shaft!  
  
Buffy sat up. "Spike, I have an idea."  
  
Spike propped himself up on one elbow. "Well, go on then."  
  
"We could get into the air system, up above us." Buffy pointed to the vent above their bed.  
  
"Hey, love. Not a bad idea." Spike frowned. "You do know that it will be freezing in there right? I'm talkin' ice here, pet. I can handle the cold, but you can't. And we have no clothes, remember?"  
  
Buffy shook her head. "I don't care. We have to try. Maybe once we are up there, we can find Liam and get the hell out of here."  
  
Spike looked at the determination on her face and nodded; he knew that her mind was made up and there was no use arguing about it.  
  
"When do you want to do this?"  
  
"No time like the present."  
  
Spike nodded and looked back up at the vent, it was large enough for them to get through. "Wrap yourself up in that sheet. I'm going to get the sheet from my room and then we can go."  
  
Spike jumped up from the bed and ran over to the hole he had punched out of the wall. He stood there for a moment, debating on whether or not to actually go back into the room. What if they took this opportunity to come in and take Buffy away?  
  
Steeling his resolve, Spike vaulted through the hole and ran to grab the sheet off his bed and then with lightening speed, ran back through the opening in the partition.  
  
Buffy was still there, enveloped in the sheet and waiting for him. Spike wrapped himself up in the sheet and climbed on the bed.  
  
"You ready?"  
  
She nodded in the affirmative so he cupped his hands and held them out. Buffy carefully put one foot in his hands, bouncing a little to test them, she stepped up fully and pulled down the vent covering.  
  
"Get me up a little higher. I can't quite reach the edge."  
  
Spike elevated her a little more and she finally was able to grasp onto the ledge and pull her body up. Turning around in the narrow passage, Buffy leaned down so that she could help Spike up. He jumped on the bed and it shot him up just high enough so that their hands met. Keeping a solid grip, Buffy pulled Spike up until he could put his other hand on the edge of the vent before she let go. She backed up so that he could squeeze into the narrow corridor.  
  
Turning around, Buffy couldn't see him, but she felt Spike's presence and it comforted her. "Let's go."  
  
*****  
  
Ta'Hoffryn looked at the young witch who stood before him. Yes, this one was powerful. She would make an excellent addition to his little family.  
  
"We knew you would be back. You crave power..." Ta'Hoffryn tilted his head, as if listening to someone. "Ahh.. and you also have a little situation with your Slayer friend. Interesting..." He smiled.  
  
Willow stood straighter, hoping to look imposing when she was just feeling helpless. "Yes, I want to help her, but none of my spells have worked and we are running out of options. If I..."  
  
Willow swallowed painfully, suddenly her vocal cords weren't working very well for some reason. "If I work for you, can I find her and set her free?"  
  
Ta'Hoffryn regarded the redhead for a moment, deep in thought. This witch was so powerful, and she hadn't even begun to tap into her resources yet. If he offered her a good deal, perhaps he could win her over into working for a longer tenure. Or perhaps she would consent to become his Queen... over time of course. He would have to work on that later.  
  
"You know, I like you. So I'm going to offer you a deal, Witch." He smiled and leaned forward. "If you work for us for ten years, we will give you the power to save this Slayer friend of yours. But, you must do as we say, and no arguments as to which jobs we send you to do. You do them all, without question. Is that a deal?"  
  
Willow tried to keep her face firm and unwavering as she took this all in. Ten years wasn't so bad, and she wouldn't even age, she would still look like she was twenty years old when her service was up. Anya served Ta'Hoffryn for 1,000 years, and that was by choice. So this job must not be too bad.  
  
"We have a deal."  
  
"Excellent! Now let me just find that contract...." A large filing cabinet appeared next to him and he pulled open a drawer, rifling through folders until he found what he was looking for. Ta'Hoffryn plucked a pair of wire framed reading glasses out of his robes and perched them on his nose as he surveyed the contract in his hands.  
  
"Ah, yes. This is it."  
  
The filing cabinet disappeared and he turned again to address Willow. A small writing desk appeared in front of Willow and she glanced down to see the contract glaring back at her.  
  
"Where is a pen?"  
  
"You have to sign it in blood. We don't accept anything else in Arash Ma 'har."  
  
"Oh." Willow said, sounding quite small and frightened. A dagger appeared on the table before her and she picked it up. Turning it around and around in her hands, she finally grasped the hilt and let out a small hiss of pain as she sliced open the pad of her index finger. Letting a few drops fall on the paper, Willow only hesitated for a second before signing her name as best she could. The contract glowed red and disappeared, as did the table and the dagger.  
  
"Now put on the talisman and come here to receive my blessing."  
  
Willow draped the chain over her head. She could feel the talisman giving off a strange heat. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was something that drew her attention.  
  
Willow kneeled before the demon and bowed her head in anticipation of his sanction. Ta'Hoffryn reached down to raise Willow's face. Kissing her on the forehead, he stood back.  
  
Willow could sense the same odd heat from the talisman work its way through her body from the searing mark on her forehead. It felt....good! It felt like power! And she could feel it coursing through her veins, caressing her insides, making her invincible and strong. Willow didn't consider herself a nerdy little girl anymore; she was a powerful Goddess! It was so right, and so... wonderful!  
  
Willow smiled up at Ta'Hoffryn, full of her new found confidence. "Show me where she is." 


	6. Chapter Six

Buffy felt like they had been crawling around in these vents for days, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Already, her hands were going numb and she couldn't feel the cold steel beneath them.  
  
"I see light up ahead, maybe we can get out there and find some clothes and weapons."  
  
Spike stated his agreement and they kept shuffling towards the dim light which was calling them like a beacon. Finally hovering over the vent, Buffy looked down and could see a guard snoozing on top of some papers.  
  
Cautiously, she opened the vent and lowered herself out. Gripping the edge with numb fingers, she started to swing and then landed quietly behind the sleeping guard. Looking around, Buffy saw that there were no other people around, so she motioned up to Spike who jumped out of the portal above with catlike grace; landing in a crouch on the floor.  
  
The light in the room was thankfully dim; all illumination coming from the wall of televisions in front of the guard. Buffy motioned to the sentry, making a wringing motion with her hands. Spike shook his head and pointed to the nightstick that was laying on the desk. Buffy nodded and picked it up, inhaling deeply, she raised the stick above her head and brought it down sharply on the back of the man's head. He didn't stir.  
  
Nodding in satisfaction, she ran over and locked the door. Turning around, she saw that Spike had thrown the sentry on the floor and was removing his clothes.  
  
"Good thinking."  
  
Spike grinned up at her. "As always, I save the day."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes and kneeled down next to him, helping to take off the man's boots. The guard was very tall and thick around the middle, so the pants that Spike took from him were a little big, but he just tucked them into the combat boots and cinched the belt tightly on his trim waist.  
  
Buffy took off the man's shirt and put it on. It buttoned up the front and had very long tails so it covered her body almost to the knees. As she was rolling up the sleeves, she glanced up at the wall of televisions.  
  
"Oh my God! They have been watching us the whole time!"  
  
Spike looked up from the boot he was lacing. "Did you expect any different, pet?"  
  
"Well, I just...just...and they saw..."  
  
Spike stood up. "Yeah I know. They saw us doing our little primitive dance. I figured you had seen the hole where they stuck the camera."  
  
Buffy shook her head. "At least now if I ever get too down on my luck I can be a porn star."  
  
Spike grinned suggestively. "You know, I think I'd like to see that..."  
  
Buffy smacked him on the arm, regretting ever having said anything. "Shut up."  
  
"Yeah, I can see it now.... you can be Buffy the Vampire Layer... and I can be the director. We can make the movies back at my crypt, lots of creepy atmosphere there..."  
  
Buffy hauled back and punched him in the nose. "You're a pig, Spike."  
  
Spike grinned at her, blood dripping from his nose. "I aim to please, love."  
  
Buffy, disgusted, turned to the desk and swiped a couple of Kleenex from the dispenser. "Wipe off your face. You look gross."  
  
"Yeah, you can dish it out pretty well, but you can't---"  
  
There was a red flash of light as Willow materialized before them. She looked around and spotted Buffy.  
  
"Oh my God, are you ok Buffy?" She ran up to give Buffy a hug.  
  
Buffy, her mouth hanging open, nodded and patted Willow on the back somewhat dazedly. "Yeah, I'm fine... wh--"  
  
"Where the bloomin' hell did you come from, Red?"  
  
Willow turned to look at Spike and, letting go of Buffy, she smiled at them both.  
  
"I found a spell that helped me break through the shield the Watchers put up."  
  
It was technically true, so Willow didn't feel that bad about not telling them everything that happened after that.  
  
"Great! Now how do we all get out of here?"  
  
"Leave that to me, Buff. You guys just work on finding out where they have Liam."  
  
"How are you going to do that, Will?"  
  
Willow smiled, and it wasn't a very nice smile. Buffy took a step back from her. "Trust me, I'll take care of them."  
  
Buffy looked at Willow once more; there was something very wrong here, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Glancing over at Spike, she knew that he felt it too.  
  
"Willow, are you... ok? I mean, you seem kinda...too eager to kick some ass or something."  
  
"Me? No I'm fine. I just feel really pumped up; ready to take on some big bads, you know?"  
  
Buffy nodded hesitantly and walked over to the set of screens against the wall. Gazing at each one in turn, she finally found Liam; cocooned in his sheets and looking very pathetic.  
  
"There he is, now we just have to find out where his room is at and then we can work out how to get there and get out with him."  
  
"I told you, Buffy. I'll take care of it. Just find out where he is so you two can get him."  
  
Buffy looked over at Spike again. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Willow out of the corner of his eye. Clearing his throat, Spike walked over to the wall of televisions and pointed out something that Buffy had missed.  
  
"It says RN 514 on the screen showin' Liam's room. I'm guessin' that means room number. And over here," Spike moved his finger over to hover above the screen showing their old chamber. "Is our room, 503. So I expect his room is in the same part of the building as ours was."  
  
Buffy thought about which direction she had gone and how many rooms they had passed before getting here. "I think that we are in the same corridor. If there is some kind of number on the door to this room, we might be able to figure out exactly where we are at; then we can follow the numbers down to his room."  
  
Spike went over and put his ear to the door, there were no voices or heartbeats coming from the other side. "It sounds aw'right, we better go now before someone comes to check on our pal here."  
  
Buffy motioned for Willow to follow her as Spike opened the door and crept out. Pointing up, Buffy could see the number above the door, 510. Looking at the door across the corridor, the number read 511. She glanced to the right and decided to go that way.  
  
Walking beside her, Spike allowed himself to hope, for the first time, that they would actually get out of this place alive.  
  
About twenty feet down, the door loomed before them, 514.  
  
"Great, now how do we get in? If we couldn't break down the door to our room, there's no way we can crash this one."  
  
Willow stepped forward. "Allow me."  
  
Placing her hand over the lock, a red glow emanated from her palm and they all heard an audible click as the door swung open.  
  
Buffy spared an odd glance at Willow before she ran into the room and knelt by the bed. "Liam?"  
  
The blonde boy looked up, tears in his eyes. "Buffy? Is that really you?"  
  
Buffy nodded, tears welling up in her own eyes at the sight at his fragile hope renewing itself. "Yes, Liam. We're here to take you home."  
  
"I didn't think you were ever coming back."  
  
"I made you a promise didn't I? I told you that I would do everything in my power to keep you safe." Buffy grinned a little shamefacedly. "Even though it took me a while. Sorry, little man."  
  
Liam smiled. "It's all right. You're here now."  
  
"That's right. Now let's get out of here before someone finds us."  
  
Motioning for Spike to come over, Buffy picked Liam up and hugged him tightly before handing him to Spike.  
  
"You carry him, I don't think he'll be able to keep up with us otherwise. Besides, you can't fight these guys, they are human."  
  
"That don't mean nothin'. I'll have one hell of a headache when I'm through, but it'll be worth it to pound those stupid gits into bloody pieces."  
  
"Down, Rambo. Just protect him, please. That's the best thing you can do for me right now. If I don't make it--"  
  
"Buffy, don't even say that, 'cos I don't want to think about you not making it out of here with the rest of us."  
  
"I know, but we have to think about it, Spike. It's reality."  
  
"Let's just go, we don't have time to bicker over the small points. You'll make it; that is all I'm goin' to say about that. Discussion is over."  
  
Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes, but she didn't feel like arguing anymore about it. "Fine, which way should we go."  
  
"Two of them are coming now to check up on me."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
Liam pointed one finger towards his head.  
  
"Oh right, I forgot about that."  
  
Buffy scrunched up her forehead in thought for a moment. "We'll ambush them. Spike, get behind the door. I'll stay on this side, and Willow? You can stand over here with me. Get a spell ready. But don't knock them out, I want to interrogate them, ok?"  
  
Willow and Spike nodded and moved to their places. Spike could hear them coming down the hall through the closed door, but they were still far away. A man and a woman who were chatting to themselves quietly.  
  
"Oh, Quentin, you are a such a dear. Thank you for the lovely roses. They brighten up my room ever so much!"  
  
"My pleasure, Patsy. Your room needed some cheering up, it looked like a tomb."  
  
"That is only because I work so much."  
  
"Speaking of work, when do you think that we will see results with those two?"  
  
"We are planning on testing her tomorrow." Patsy answered.  
  
"Well, if she hasn't conceived by now, then we are just going to have to try again. We might have to give him another shot of the serum."  
  
Spike's eyes widened as he took in this information. It was all starting to make sense. The blood in Buffy's fridge, the wall, no clothes.... The Watchers had psychologically manipulated them into doing exactly what they wanted.  
  
Buffy frowned at Spike's look of horror. 'What is it?', she mouthed. Spike shook his head and put a finger to his lips to silence her. He felt confident that the others could not hear a thing through the steel door.  
  
"We are lucky that this Slayer has a thing for vampires in the first place, and particularly fortunate that she chose this one. It cost a lot less money this time." The man stopped walking and sighed. "Good God, when I think about the money that we spent making Liam...We doled out three billion pounds just for the equipment alone! Not to mention the genetic technicians, sample collectors, what have you. And what happens then? Grace takes off with him so she can turn him over to his 'mother' and corrupts him thoroughly. Now he won't do a damn thing we say and keeps crying for his precious Buffy! When I think about it all I get so damn irritated I just want to...."  
  
"Shh...calm yourself, Quentin. This won't help your blood pressure you know. Besides, we are almost here. It won't make things any easier with the boy if he hears you."  
  
"That boy can't hear a damn thing, Patsy. The door is made of steel and the walls are concrete."  
  
"Yes, but you know that he can... sense things as it were. We want him to trust us, hopefully enough so that we can finally get started on his physical training."  
  
"Mmmn, that's true. But I have a feeling that he won't trust us either way and we will eventually wind up eliminating him."  
  
*****  
  
Spike felt like the room was spinning. He couldn't handle all of the information that was rapidly pouring into his ears. It was as if the world had stopped to let him off in some other galaxy. Spike's brain was whirling in circles until Liam placed a still hand on his cold cheek.  
  
"You know that I couldn't tell you. You weren't ready yet." Liam lisped quietly, staring into Spike's eyes, blue to blue.  
  
Spike nodded and then he realized something and it made him smile with quivering lips as he whispered. "Liam...William."  
  
The little boy smiled and put a finger up to his lips.  
  
"They are almost here."  
  
Glancing over at Buffy, Spike grinned a little foolishly. He watched as a blank frown crossed her face. "What's going on?" She whispered.  
  
Spike only shook his head. "I'll tell you later, Buffy. I promise."  
  
There was no more time to talk, the door was being opened. Tensing up, Buffy gestured for Willow to cast her spell.  
  
Muttering a few words, Willow pointed at the doorway and the two people coming into the room froze. Buffy looked closely at the man; it was Quentin Travers, she would recognize that guy anywhere.  
  
"I had a feeling he was behind all of this." Buffy glanced at Willow. "Is there anyway that you can maybe, uh, unfreeze their heads or something? I want to talk to them, ask them why they did all of this crap."  
  
Willow pointed her finger at Travers' head and suddenly he started yelling for help. Buffy slugged him hard in the nose. Even with the force of impact, his body remained upright, but his head snapped to the side with the shock of her blow.  
  
"Shut up! You are going to tell me what the hell is going on; right now!"  
  
Travers laughed. "Why should I tell you anything? You don't even work for the Council anymore."  
  
"No. But that didn't keep you from kidnapping me did it? Why do you want us? And Liam? What do you want him for? Trying to take over the world, Pinky?"  
  
"You can kill me if you want, but I'm not telling you anything."  
  
Willow stepped up to him then. "You know, Mr. Travers... there are fates that are worse than death."  
  
Quentin laughed. "There isn't anything that you can do that will make me say anything, Witch."  
  
Willow raised her eyebrows. "Really? Care to test that theory?" She leaned forward and put her index finger on his forehead. A red light passed from Willow's finger and whirled around under the man's skin until it disappeared.  
  
"Think happy thoughts, Mr. Travers."  
  
Quentin's eyes grew large in his head; it was as if he was seeing something that no one else could see.  
  
"Noooooo...." He moaned out softly. "Not Margery...take me instead....noooo..." Travers' head moved violently from side to side. Buffy clutched Willow's arm.  
  
"What did you do to him?"  
  
Willow grinned smugly. "Just his very worst fears realized, and intensified by a hundred."  
  
Buffy took a step back from her friend. "Willow....that's...horrible. How could you do such a thing?"  
  
Willow looked hurt and suddenly she felt all of her confidence drain away. "B-but he did things just as bad to you and Liam and Spike. He's an evil man."  
  
Buffy shook her head. "But Willow, it doesn't mean that we have to stoop down to his level and torture him! Stop it, right now."  
  
Willow starting getting angry because Buffy had somehow made her feel like that little geek girl again, instead of the powerful....witch? Demon? That she really was.  
  
"Fine! I'll stop." Willow threw her hands in the air angrily and Travers' face relaxed into a less pained expression.  
  
"Please, no more....I-I'll tell you what I know."  
  
Spike walked over to Quentin. "No, I'll tell her that part myself. I know what you wanted us for. Just tell her why you wanted Liam."  
  
Travers blinked twice, and nodded his head. "Fine, I'll tell you about Liam. We.." He stopped to take a breath, the visions Willow had implanted still going around in his head, but with not as much force as before so it was easier to ignore them now.  
  
"We created Liam so that we would have the perfect Slayer. Raised by us, trained by us, so that he would answer only to us. Unfortunately, we didn't foresee him being so stubborn and rebellious. All things considered though, we should have counted on it." He glanced back over at Buffy before continuing with Spike.  
  
"We started to educate him on the basics from the moment he was born. He learned quickly and excelled in every subject. Of course, his education is hardly complete, but as I'm sure you've noticed, he is far ahead of his peers.  
  
When he was about one year old, we discovered that he seemed be able to sense things before they happened. That he was... clairvoyant as it were. At first it was thought that this could be used to our advantage. But as time progressed, we realized that this was more a problem than anything else. Liam sensed that our intentions towards him were...clinical.  
  
He became more rebellious and we could not deal with him anymore. Finally, we confined him to his quarters most of the time and didn't often bother with training since it wasn't making an impact on him.  
  
Then Grace Hathaway, his nanny, ran off with him to Sunnydale and you know the rest."  
  
"No, I don't know the rest. But I'm sure that Spike will tell me, right Spike?"  
  
"Yes, love. I'll tell you. But not right now, it isn't the time for that."  
  
"Yes, because it's time to go home now. So let's all click our heels and--"  
  
"How do we know that they won't try this again?" Buffy cut Willow off.  
  
Willow just smiled. "Because of the threat that I could make those visions real. Isn't that right, Mr. Travers?"  
  
Quentin nodded dejectedly. "Yes, we won't pursue you, Miss Summers... or any of your friends.  
  
Willow pointed her finger at first him, and then Leeves. Both regained their ability to move freely about.  
  
"Just a minute before we go, Red. I want to have a word with the man in private."  
  
Spike handed Liam over to Buffy, who clung to her in a tight embrace. Grabbing Travers by the elbow, Spike roughly guided him into an unused room across the corridor.  
  
Closing the door, Spike leaned up against it and leered dangerously at Quentin. "Now, mate. I heard every damn thing you said in the hallway, the doors aren't that thick. You are going to tell me about that serum you were talking about. What exactly did you shoot me up with while I was out of commission?"  
  
Travers laughed briefly. "Good God, is that all you want to know? Well that's easy. There were two serums; one for the each of you. Their only purpose was to increase fertility to insure that she conceived."  
  
Spike groaned and slid down the door so that he landed on his ass. "Did it work?" He asked, not really wanting to know the answer.  
  
Quentin nodded in the affirmative. "We are fairly certain that it worked. It was the perfect, uh, window of opportunity, as it were."  
  
"Bloody hell. Just a few days ago, I was getting used to the idea of Buffy actually returning my affections. A-and now we have two children?" Spike covered his face with his hands. "I'm too old for this."  
  
Travers took a look at the confused vampire and sat down in a nearby chair. Seeing the humour in the situation, he laughed until his sides ached.  
  
"What?" Spike looked up at the laughing man. "It ain't funny you know. This is all very traumatic... I don't have the first clue on how I'm going to break this to Buffy...a-and...oh my God." Spike hung his head again. Picking at his bootlace, he asked. "So why me? Out of all the vampires in the world, why did you pick me?"  
  
Quentin cleared his throat and wiped a tear from his eye. "Well, for starters you have killed two slayers in your lifetime. That isn't a easy thing to accomplish in and of itself. But also, you are physically strong, good endurance, and intelligent. Beside that, you were easily accessible and you knew the Slayer personally."  
  
Spike took that in quietly. Glancing up, he said. "You know, he gets that psychic bit from my Da. He was always...having visions and what not. Made him quite grumpy most of the time if I recall."  
  
Travers smiled. "We had been wondering where that had come from."  
  
Spike thought for a moment. Cocking his head to the side, he asked. "So what exactly is he? Is he a vampire, a half breed....I don't really understand. This is all new territory for me."  
  
"Yes, I expect that it is that." Travers scratched his head for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain. "Well, you see...Liam is a very special child. Other than the obvious advancement in learning and his psychic abilities, he has access to other talents which he may be able to develop better over time. He has only one limitation of a vampire; but even that is minor. Protect him with heavy sunscreen when he goes outside during the day and he will be fine." Quentin paused for a moment before continuing.  
  
"His strength and endurance are mind boggling, but we have taught him how to control that so he doesn't hurt anyone. Like a vampire, he can move at super fast speeds, but he hasn't learned how to utilize the skill as of yet. My best advice to you is to assume that he has all of the powers of both a Slayer and a Vampire, then act accordingly with his training. You are planning on training him aren't you?" Travers glanced at Spike, eyebrows deeply engrained in his forehead.  
  
"Of course I am. I mean, I have to don't I?"  
  
Travers nodded, wearily rubbing his temples.  
  
"Why are you bein' so nice all of a sudden?"  
  
Quentin shrugged. "Why not? How do you know that this isn't the way that things were supposed to work out?"  
  
Spike stood up and dusted off his rear.  
  
"You're an odd fish, Watcher."  
  
Turning around, Spike opened the door and went across the hall to where Buffy and the rest were waiting for him.  
  
Grabbing Buffy around the waist, he gave her a peck on the cheek. "Let's go home, love."  
  
Willow started chanting and they all disappeared. Leeves, who was still sitting on the bed, got up and went to the room where Travers was still sitting, deep in thought. Pulling the clip out of her dark hair, Leeves shook her head, letting the long, ebony waves flow around her.  
  
"You know, Quentin. I'm not sure whether I enjoyed that particular assignment or not."  
  
"Patsy, you are well aware that it isn't our place to question the Powers. We are only their instruments and everything we did was necessary."  
  
"Yes, but I feel so...evil. Like we are terrible people for treating that child so badly."  
  
"I agree with you on that point. But it was all part of the deal, dear. We had to make the child think that we were the evil ones. We had to believe it so that he would believe it too. It was all an act, and I must say that you did very well. I'm fairly sure that we convinced them all of our 'evil' intentions."  
  
Leeves laughed and it softened her face, making the cold beauty of her countenance more warm and human. "Yes, that one is too smart for his own good. His parents are going to have a hard time raising him, you know?"  
  
Travers snickered softly. "I know. I just spoke to the traumatized father."  
  
"So what do you think the Powers have planned for them?" Patsy asked, kneading her scalp with soft ivory fingers.  
  
"Who knows? They all share a destiny; the entire group for better or for worse."  
  
"I hope that the Slayer's destiny has a good ending. She has been through so much these past few years."  
  
Travers raised an eyebrow. "Becoming a romantic are we, Patsy?"  
  
She smiled gently. "Yes, I suppose I am." Her pleasant look faded as she thought of something. "It is too bad about that young red-haired witch though... she has so much potential she hasn't discovered yet. But now it is too late, she has become a demon."  
  
Quentin frowned darkly. "I think that one has always been destined for darkness. She is too vengeful and power hungry for anything else."  
  
"But she did it to save her friend. Surely that counts for something."  
  
Quentin shook his head in negation. "No, she didn't do it for the Slayer. If she had really wanted to help the Slayer as badly as she claimed, she would have found another way, she is an intellegent girl. But as I said before, she is power mad and saw that as the easiest way out. The quickest way to have everything she wanted at one time. Power, strength, and Buffy too." Travers paused, and stared at the wall with sightless eyes.  
  
"But like the rest, it is her destiny to follow. All were tested these past months. Even Wesley, our instructions to kill Rupert was also a test from the powers. All passed and are now on the road to discover their true fates." 


	7. Epilogue: Or what happened after

*****Epilogue: What happened after....*****  
  
Buffy still couldn't believe it, Willow was a vengeance demon. She had never expected it, but if she was honest with herself; she knew that Willow had been getting darker and darker as time went on. Perhaps it was because she really hadn't been paying attention, maybe she could have stopped Will somehow. Buffy knew that Willow claimed that it had been the only way to save her, but there had to have been another way. It was Willow's chance to be big and powerful, instead of the high-school geek she had always felt like.  
  
Buffy was going to miss her; the confidant and best friend. But it wasn't as bad as it could have been. At least she had Spike, while Willow had only her power and Tara had no one.  
  
Tara was understandably devastated by Willow's decision. She had been in her room for days now and the Scoobies each took turns caring for her.  
  
Liam had settled down into a steady routine of sleeping, eating, and playing. And Buffy had to admit that for the first time in a long time she was... content? Yes, content was the word she supposed. But she was also happy too; she had Spike, Liam, Dawn, Giles... people who loved and understood her. Because of all that, the loss of Willow didn't hit her as hard as it did some of the other Scoobies. And they were still officially on vacation, no plans had been made yet as to when they would be going back to Sunnydale. Buffy didn't want to ever go back, but she knew it was necessary. Her duty being to kill undead ickies and Sunnydale was on a Hellmouth, so it went hand in hand. Unless she felt like moving to New York....nah...too scary even for her.  
  
One other thing still bothered her though. It had been a week and Spike still hadn't told her everything about what had happened with the Watchers. Deciding that now was as good a time as any, Buffy got up off the deck chair she had been curled up in on the back porch and went inside to talk to him.  
  
Opening the door to the basement, she walked down the stairs and found Spike watching Passions. Buffy went over and turned off the TV.  
  
"Hey! Whad'ya do that for?"  
  
"We need to talk, Spike."  
  
Spike looked at her and he knew what talk she was referring to; he calmed himself and took an unecessary breath. Taking a cigarette out of his pack, he patted the sofa next to him. "Come sit down, and I'll tell you all 'bout it."  
  
Buffy sat down and Spike lit his cigarette. He leaned back and rested an arm on the back of the couch. Looking at his cigarette, he broke the ice the only way he could think of.  
  
"What do you think of Liam?"  
  
Buffy wasn't really prepared for that question. "Well, uh... he's a good kid. I really like him; he's smart and sweet and I love him to pieces...where is this going."  
  
"More importantly though, who do you think of when you look at him?"  
  
"Who do I think of?"  
  
Spike nodded.  
  
"Um... I think of Liam?"  
  
Spike shook his head and took a puff from his cigarette. "Do you know where the name Liam comes from?"  
  
"No."  
  
"It's a derivative of William. They named him after his father, you see."  
  
"I thought that they created him."  
  
"They didn't make him out of thin air, you know. The Watchers chose two people to take genetic material from."  
  
Buffy started to get a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach; she didn't like where this was going.  
  
"W-who did they chose?"  
  
Spike crooked an eyebrow at her. "You and I, pet."  
  
"Oh my God...." Buffy looked down at her hands and then back up at Spike. "You mean to say that Liam is.....is my...our..." She swallowed and somehow the word wouldn't come out. "Oh my God..." Buffy sobbed. She turned to Spike who took her into his arms gently and rocked her back and forth.  
  
Spike didn't know how he was going to tell her the rest of it; about the serum and the...other child.  
  
"How could they do this? I know why they did it, but I don't understand how they could...." Buffy sniffed and wiped her eyes with her hand.  
  
"Giles knew about this, the night we all left. He didn't want to tell you because he was aware that it the last thing you needed to hear."  
  
Buffy pushed herself back and looked at Spike out of bleary eyes. "Giles knew about this and he didn't tell me?"  
  
"Pet, he understood that you just weren't ready yet. And I think...I think that he didn't want you to find out. It was something he wasn't able to accept himself."  
  
"But I have the right to know damn it! He can't just keep these kind of things from me, it isn't fair!"  
  
"I know, love. That is why I told you. I will always tell you the truth...whether you want to hear it or not, you know that."  
  
Buffy smiled somewhat sadly and stared at the empty TV screen. "So does Liam know?"  
  
Spike laughed briefly. "Yeah. I think that kid knew before any of us did."  
  
'A son,' Buffy thought to herself. 'Spike and I have a son. Geez, and I didn't even have to go through the 3am feedings or diaper changes first. I think I would have liked that part though...' Buffy smiled sorrowfully to herself. 'I have missed so much...it just isn't fair. God, who knew that I would ever be here? I mean, with Spike of all people.'  
  
Buffy shook her head to clear it and glanced up at Spike. "You know, I think I'm ok with this. I mean, I'm not saying it isn't a huge shock...I'm surprised I haven't had a stroke by now or something with one thing after another like this. But at least I can't say that my life is dull...."  
  
Buffy smiled brightly and wiped her eyes. "Come on, lets go find the rug rat...I want to give him a big hug."  
  
She grabbed Spike's hands and pulled him up off the couch and trotted up the stairs. Spike followed slowly, contemplating all of the things that had happened within the past two months. He had things now that he never even dreamed was possible. Spike almost felt grateful to the Watchers for what they had done. Because of them he had the love of his Slayer, a bright little chap who just happened to be his own flesh and blood son, and another surprise on the way. Almost grateful to them. Now Spike felt all soft and poncy, but it didn't bother him that much really. It wasn't as if he was about to start mowing the lawn and going to church and live in a house with a white picket fence or something....at least he hoped not. That really would be too much to handle.  
  
"Spike, are you coming?" Buffy stood in the doorway to the basement, looking down at him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm comin' pet. Just getting my head straight an all."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Spike, you've had a week to adjust to this. I've only had a few minutes and I'm still better prepared than you are. Now get up here before I kick your ass."  
  
"Yes, dear." Spike muttered somewhat sarcastically.  
  
"I heard that. Don't push me Spike. I really feel like punching something right now, so you better stop unless you feel like volunteering for the job."  
  
Spike crooked an eyebrow at her and grinned. "Well, pet, if you feel like letting out some aggressions, I would be happy to help you."  
  
"Spiiiike! Not now! Come on."  
  
Spike climbed the stairs and walked beside Buffy, both heading out to the beach where Dawn was playing with Liam.  
  
Liam saw them coming down the back steps and ran towards them. "Buffy! Dawn and I are building sand castles! Do you want to help?"  
  
Buffy ruffled his hair. "Sure, kiddo. What do you want me to do?"  
  
Liam took Buffy's hand and started to lead her towards the water, but he stopped and turned back to Spike, hand outstretched. "Aren't you coming?"  
  
Spike smiled. "Of course. Wouldn't miss it." He took Liam's other hand and the three made their way towards Dawn who was lifting a bucket of water out of the ocean.  
  
"Come on, guys!" Dawn laughed. "We want to build a big sand mountain. I've got some firecrackers and I'm gonna blow it up when we're done."  
  
"Oh no you're not!" Buffy corrected.  
  
"Come on, Buffy. It isn't like its big fireworks or something...its just some little firecrackers."  
  
"I said no. You could...blow your fingers off or something."  
  
"Buffy!" Dawn wailed.  
  
Buffy shook her head and Dawn grumbled under her breath. Looking down at Liam, Buffy smiled and reached down to pick him up. Liam put his arms around her neck and squeezed her hard.  
  
"I'm glad that he told you, Buffy."  
  
Buffy grinned, she just couldn't get over his psychic abilities, and it was kinda scary thinking about when he got older and stuff. It was also difficult to pattern her speech towards a two year old who could really speak almost as well as she could. But old habits died hard, especially habits towards children."Yeah, he told me. I was really surprised. But I wasn't mad or anything, it made me very happy."  
  
"I know." Liam jumped down and turned to run back and play with Dawn, but he stopped and, reaching up on tiptoe, kissed Buffy's stomach and patted it with one chubby hand.  
  
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "What was that for?"  
  
Liam grinned up at her. "Just saying hello." He lisped out before turning again to go back to building sand mountains.  
  
Buffy shrugged. "Strange kid."  
  
"Not any stranger than us, pet."  
  
"That's true. I'm can't believe I'm saying this but, I'm kinda glad that he isn't totally normal. It would make me feel....weird."  
  
Spike shrugged. "You never will be completely normal, you know."  
  
"Yeah, I know. But it doesn't bother me like it used to anymore. I've adjusted."  
  
Buffy looked down at Spike's feet and started laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
Buffy pointed down and Spike saw that Liam had sneaked back up to them and was building a pile of sand on top of Spike's shoes.  
  
"Aw, crap. Not my boots..." Spike growled at Liam playfully as he ran squealing back towards Dawn.  
  
"Not so fast, lil' nipper. Come back here." Spike chased after him and grabbed Liam, holding him aloft in the air and let his game face shift over his features.  
  
"Grrrr....I eat little boys who put sand on my shoes..."  
  
Liam shrieked with laughter and covered Spike's ridged forehead with his tiny hands. "Stop. You look silly."  
  
Spike let his face relax back into human form and he lifted one eyebrow. "I look silly do I?"  
  
With one quick movement, Spike was holding Liam by one ankle and dangling him over the sand. " 'Cos you're the one who looks silly to me."  
  
Liam doubled over with giggles as he twisted and writhed like a wild thing. Gently, Spike lowered him to the ground. Liam immediately stood up and stumbled around unable to get his bearings before he promptly fell back on his rear. Laughing hysterically, Liam shouted. "That was fun. Can we do it again?"  
  
Spike groaned and walked back over to Buffy who had been watching the whole spectacle. "Gaw, I think that kid's gonna be the death o' me."  
  
Buffy smiled and kept watching as Liam poured sand down the back of Dawn's shirt. "Yeah, but you know...I have a feeling he's going to be your life, too."  
  
Spike thought about the new life that was forming right now and the miracle of it all still amazed him. But there was time to tell her about that later; right now was a time to live.  
  
The End 


	8. Should I stay or should I go....

So guys, I want to know whether I should  
continue this as a series, or if I should say  
that is it and stop writing on this one. It is   
'finished' as a stand-alone, but my creative   
side is telling me 'more more more, more more more'  
like Billy Idol...  
Let me know, I'll listen to whoever wants to post a review   
and an opinion.  
Love,  
Sing 


End file.
